Marry Me Katara
by dickard23
Summary: Marrying Katara is the latest rage. Aang wants to marry her. Hahn wants to marry her. Unfortunately, Katara wants to marry neither of them. A friend offers to marry Katara to protect her from being forced to marry against her will, no strings attached. Can they keep this marriage a secret and what will they do once everyone finds out?
1. Prologue

AN:

This story is T and not M because there's no smut. There's lots of sex, but there's no depiction of it. I assume that's okay for T. It discusses adult topics but there is no serious violence depicted in the story.

Basic Info for this Universe (Can skip if you want to learn as you go.)

It's post war; ignore the Search and the Promise. The Prologue is 2 years after the war ended and the First Chapter is 6 months after that. I don't think anything from the canon will be taken out, but new information will be added to it.

Aang and Katara dated on and off for almost a year and a half total. Toph is working for the police in Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Mai got married after the Prologue but before the First Chapter. Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors and they are all on Kyoshi Island. Sokka is with Suki. Azula was in the asylum for the first six months after the war. She spent the next six months working on regaining the trust of her brother, Mai and Ty Lee (who visits periodically) and a year after the war, she was deemed free to do as she pleased (absent starting a rebellion).

* * *

Prologue

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Are you trying to get out of having sex with me? This must be a first."

"Of course I want sex, but I want you to want it. I don't want you to feel obligated."

"Well this is our wedding night, so it is an obligation in a way, but this is not repayment for you helping me out."

"Good because when I said there were no strings attached, I meant it. You don't owe me anything for this."

"I know and that's why I said yes. So let's go to bed."

"Maybe we should sober up first, and then see if you still want to."

Katara leaned forward, pressing her lips to her new spouse. "I want this. So turn out the lights and let's go."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Don't call me ma'am."

"Yes, Mistress."

"Mistress Katara, I can get used to that."

"We already have nicknames. HOT!"

"You're such a goon."

"But I'm your goon."

"That you are. So stop it with the lip service and get naked."

"Ooh! A bossy mistress, how can I refuse?"

The clothes came off. Katara was expecting her first time to be rushed, as they were both drunk and horny, but to her pleasant surprise, it was nice and slow. If she had known better, she would have said romantic: soft candlelight, tender kisses and gentle nips of flesh as fingertips roamed across each other's bodies. This was a night of firsts as they went from kissing to sex, slowly exploring everything in between. This all sounds romantic, but they were NOT in love.

If you had told her a year ago she would have married the biggest womanizer in the Fire Nation (and possibly the world), she would have said you were crazy, but here she is, in the arms of one who is infamous for notches on the belt and being anti-marriage and anti-children, a certified true player for life.

This marriage would not change anything. Katara still had her freedom and her new spouse would still be a womanizer. No one would know of the marriage until the time was right, so they could continue on as if they weren't even dating, because they had never dated before.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

2.5 Years after Sozin's Comet

* * *

It was cold outside, but there was no snow. There seldom was in Gaoling. Living here was not what Katara had expected. She didn't know anyone here, other than the Bei Fongs and since Toph moved to Ba Sing Se, Katara had no reason to bother with Lao or Poppy. Hakoda, Gran Gran and Pakku were in the Southern Water Tribe. Sokka was on Kyoshi Island with Suki and Katara's other friends were either in the Fire Nation or in different Earth Kingdom cities.

She didn't realize how lonely she would be. Surprisingly, it was much easier to make friends during the war than after it. When there was war, everyone had a cause to unite against. Now, everything was just dreary and fragmented. She loved waterbending, but she hated to teach. She hated the underachievers and the parents who overestimated their children's abilities, who blamed her for her children's challenges. Well, waterbending is hard okay. It requires actual practice, not just goofing off and expecting to be a master in two months.

She taught spoiled brats, the products of wealthy Earth Kingdom noblemen and water tribe women. The world needed more waterbenders, especially after the internment during the war, but Katara was losing the passion she had for teaching. What difference did this make to the tribes? It's not like these children will go there and help. They are perfectly content here being spoiled rotten by parents with too much money and not enough time for them.

She was ready to quit. Unfortunately, as soon as she did, Hakoda would try to get her to come home and look for a husband, Arnook would try to get her to go north and look for a husband, Aang would try to get her to move to the Air Nation and get back together with him and who knows which direction Sokka would try to push her in. He seemed to alternate between the Northern Water Tribe and Aang.

She contemplated telling them she was married and seeing the stunned look on their faces when they realized she would not be a baby-making machine for them to fight over. Was it wrong that she wanted to use her marriage to piss them off a little or maybe a lot? It wouldn't be very nice, but it would feel really good.

"Not as good as sex," she grumbled. She missed sex, another consequence of this stupid job. She was free to play, but it did not feel right. She felt ruined for anyone else and could never get past flirting with other people. Surely, her spouse had gotten some action in her absence, but she did not mind, as long as she was the only one when they were together.

That was one of the two rules. The other rule was no committed relationships with other people. Everything else was fair game.

It was Friday night and the waterbender had no plans. She would stay home, make ramen and gripe internally about how frustrating this all was for her. Sometimes, she wished she had been born a boy; then she would not have to deal with these problems. No one would be trying to make her marry. How long has Sokka put off proposing to Suki?

[Knock Knock Knock]

Only one person knocks three times. Before Katara got to the door, she heard [knock knock knock].

She opened it to see her infamous womanizing wife at her door with her bags packed. "Surprise." Before she could bring her bags inside, Katara grabbed her wife, kissing her roughly and making her drop her stuff.

Azula hoped that none of her bags hit Katara's feet. She picked up her wife and carried her to the couch. "I guess you're happy to see me." Azula pulled her stuff inside and shut the door. "So tell me, how much have you missed my body?"

Katara rolled her eyes, what a womanizing slut. "You know I missed you for more than just your body."

"Yeah, but the mushy stuff is boring. We're much better at the fun stuff, laughing, partying, sexing it up."

Katara ruffled her hair. "You got a hair cut. It looks good."

"Thanks." Instead of her famous topknot, Azula sported a shorter angled look and wore her hair down. "I wanted to go for a change, and I figured if I didn't like it, I could wear a hood throughout the winter and it would grow back by summer."

"Well, I think it looks hot."

"Then I'll keep it."

"So what did you tell Zuko when you left the palace?"

Azula chuckled. "Nothing. I just packed my bags and left."

"Won't he worry?"

"He's not my keeper. I'm a free woman, thanks to you." Azula kissed her nose. "And I can travel as I see fit."

When Azula got Katara's letter, she decided to come cheer her up. It had been her dream to become a waterbending teacher and Azula was sad to hear that Katara wanted to quit already. She thought a fun visit might get her spirits up again.

"So what are we doing tonight?" Azula asked her.

"I thought we could stay inside."

"So you want to sex me all night. HOT!"

"It's cold outside." Katara glared at her.

"So let's warm each other up inside. High five!" Katara gave her one. It was nice to have a carefree person in her life. Azula was the only one who did not try to make her be anything. When they were together, it was like her sole mission was to make Katara smile (or scream loudly).

"I was going to make ramen for dinner."

"Want some help?"

The two women got to cooking. Azula was better at chopping and heating up the water than she was seasoning and knowing her cooking times. Luckily, she lived at the palace and did not need to cook to sustain herself.

"So how is everyone at the palace?"

"Well, let me see. Zuko and Mai are still arguing over when they should have kids. Mai must be bored if she wants to make a baby already. (They just got married three months ago.) Aang came to visit." Azula said the last part with venom; she couldn't stand him. Everyone thought it was because of Ozai, but it was actually over Katara. He was just such a little baby. He was convinced Katara was his forever girl that they should get married and repopulate the Air Nation, but he didn't even know her.

Sure, she cooked for him, cleaned for him and comforted him during the war, but she's not looking to be his girlfriend/mother. She wants a lover who can take care of her needs, both sexually and emotionally and Aang could do neither. He offered his heart, but his heart is shallow. He loved Katara as he saw her, as he wanted her to be. He could not take her flaws along with her benefits. She can be angry and spiteful. She can be tricky and rash. Sometimes she thinks the ends justify the means. Aang does not know this about her. He does not understand it. He refuses to see it, and he cannot love her fully if he will not acknowledge it. Until he grows up, he should just leave Katara alone, but of course he will not.

"He's a good guy," Katara told her wife.

Not when it comes to Katara. "I know, but he makes my skin crawl. He's such a baby, yet he pretends to be a man; it's repulsive."

His immaturity was why Katara left, so she could not argue Azula's merits, but she thought those were reasons not to date him, not reasons to despise him. Katara wanted to change the subject, so she kissed her wife.

"I'm going to make you feel so good tonight!" Azula bragged as she turned around and dipped her wife.

"What toys did you bring?"

"You'll have to wait and see, Mistress."

Katara blushed. Somehow, that nickname got her every time.

* * *

At the Palace

Aang had yet another beer and another failed relationship. Koko complained that he compared her to Katara left and right. Katara cooked like this. She washed the clothes like this. "Why don't you just go back to Katara?" the girl cried as she threw Aang's stuff out of her apartment. He left for the Palace that night, hoping his buddy Zuko could cheer him up.

"I don't know what to do anymore?" Aang complained. "Katara ruined me for all other women. I just compare them to her and they get upset and they leave me."

"Wait," Mai said as she sipped from her glass. "You didn't compare her to Katara to her face did you."

"Well I never meant to. It would just come out."

She shook her head. "No wonder she threw your stuff out."

"I just wish Katara would give me another chance."

"It's been seven months Aang," Zuko told him. He felt bad for his friend, but Katara had not been happy with him for some time. She had complained to the Fire Lord months before she broke up with him this most recent time. Well, she had broken up with him then too and Zuko encouraged her to try again. She did try again and then she just ended it a couple of months later.

Mai was just shaking her head. Aang was hopeless. He brought Toph as his date to their wedding in an attempt to make Katara jealous so she would want him back. Katara didn't bite and Aang just chased her around all night. It was so bad that Toph threw her drink at him and left because he had been such a bad date to her. KATARA JUST DOESN'T WANT YOU! Mai screamed in her head. On the outside, however, she said nothing.

About twenty minutes later, they went to dinner. "Where's Azula?" Mai asked her husband.

"I don't know." He sent a servant for her just to learn that she had left the palace.

"Did she say where she was going?"

"No, but she said something about getting laid, so I assume she was going to a lady's house."

"You mean a slut's house," Mai said bluntly. The Princess had a reputation for sleeping her way through the noblemen's single daughters, and she went after a couple of their fiancées. Instead of conquering countries, she conquered easy women, a much more benign way to user her aggression as far as Mai was concerned.

"Well, yes."

"How many women does she bring to the palace?" Aang seethed. He thought her treatment of women was disgusting. Plying them with booze, telling them how they would love being with a Princess just to screw them and put them out the next morning.

"She doesn't. She has a cottage for her dalliances," Zuko said. "For security purposes." It was her idea and Zuko agreed. "I do not need scorned women here."

"You best keep me happy," Mai warned.

"Yes my Lady," he kissed her hand.

"I don't get what they see in her," Aang grumbled.

"A good time?" Mai offered.

"EW!" Zuko scowled.

"What? She must know what she's doing at this point and she's rich and has nice clothes and can ply them with alcohol that's as smooth as fresh fountain water. She also seems unlikely to be a womanizer because most people expect womanizers to be men. She's like a wolf in a koala sheep's clothing."

"That's just horrid."

"Meh! Anyone who goes home with someone they met an hour ago can't complain about her being sleazy," Mai figured. "You lie with dogs, you get fleas."

"Someday Azula's going to get fleas," Zuko said.

"Nah! Lesbians are the least likely to get diseases like that."

"Why?" Aang asked.

I assume because there's no dick involved. "Maybe it's harder to transfer with just fingers, or people wash their hands more often than their penises."

"This is hardly dinner conversation."

"Please, if Azula were here, she'd be bragging about some bimbo she nailed," and going into unnecessary detail.

"And she's not, so can we talk about something else," Aang muttered. He was glad she was gone; yet somehow, the conversation was about her anyway.

* * *

Katara was asleep. She had a long week, and it was only a couple of rounds, before she was ready to retire. Azula held her in her arms. Katara was her wife and was worthy of star treatment. Whatever she wanted, she got and Azula was happy to give it. When it came to bimbos, however, it was a completely different story.

**1 Month Ago**

Azula and Ty Lee were at Ember's Island together. Mai was still in the honeymoon phase of her marriage, so she opted to stay behind with Zuko who had to work.

"Marriage is like the death to a perfectly good life," Azula said to her friend. "It's like the beginning of the end. The sex disappears unless you're trying for a baby and once the baby's there, there's pooping and crying and stretch marks. I totally lucked out being gay. No need for contraception or a wedding ring."

"Gay people can get married too." Zuko had that law changed.

"Why would I want to join the most anti-woman institution on Earth? All marriage is good for is keeping women tied down, telling them their place is at home making heirs, aka sons and cooking and cleaning and raising them. It sounds awful."

"But if your mother hadn't married your father, you wouldn't exist?"

"And I appreciate her sacrifice so I can be awesome, but I'm not going to pay it forward. No marriage, no babies, only awesome."

"Maybe you just haven't met the right girl yet?" Ty Lee offered.

"Nope. No woman could make me want to switch places with Mai right now. You know me. I don't sleep with the same girl twice."

"You did with me," Ty Lee teased. Well of course. Ty Lee had been her first. She needed to practice, but now, Azula was skilled and desirable. Girls love bad boys and Azula is badder than any boy that most girls will ever meet. She killed the Avatar. She conquered the Earth Kingdom. She even shot her own brother in the chest with lightning.

She's the character any father would tell his daughter to stay away from, but she's the Princess, so they can't. With her golden eyes, full breasts and sexy voice, she's every lesbians/bisexual girl's wet dream. Once she found that out, she went wild, picking up a new girl whenever she felt like it, even getting her brother to buy her a cabin, so she didn't have to bring them home or risk going to theirs.

They made it to a bar and Azula quickly scanned for eligible babes. It was too early in the night.

"Let's order food first."

They sat down and of course, boys made their eyes at Ty Lee. She flirted back, not willing to go home with anyone, but she would play the game for a little bit.

After their meal, Azula noticed a petite girl with short brown hair looking at her. She flirted with her eyes before approaching the stranger. "I like your necklace," Azula said to her.

"Thanks. My dad gave it to me."

Azula picked it up with her fingers; purposefully grazing the girl's chest. She read the inscription. "To my lovely Sunflower. With love, Dad."

"Isn't this sweet? Aren't you a little too cute for a place like this?" It was a common gimmick; tell the girl she looks younger than she is, so she is desperate to prove her maturity. This easily leads to sex.

"I'm 15!" The girl only looked 13.

Azula ordered them a shot each. "Then let's have a toast. To living as we see fit."

It was only three shots before Azula was up the girl's dress in the bathroom. This girl was so easy it was almost embarrassing; well she should be embarrassed. When they were done, Azula washed her hands and made her way back to the bar. She left with a smirk on her face while the girl slumped against the wall, out of breath and delirious from their encounter.

"That was fast," Ty Lee said with a glare as she finished her drink.

"Don't tell me you're going to pull a Mai," lecturing me on how it's time to settle down and stop screwing random bimbos. I'll screw who I want. They can't tell me what to do.

"I'm not telling you to get married, but maybe it would be nice to have one girl to screw repeatedly."

"Nope! One and done! There's too many to try out."

Ty Lee shook her head. "Well, if you're good for the night, let's go."

Azula left without ever finding out the girl's name. She never shared hers either. What difference did it make?

**Present**

Katara was pleasantly surprised to have Azula's arms around her when she woke up. The Princess was not a cuddler. "Good morning."

Azula quickly let her go. "You were shivering last night," Azula said in self-defense.

"Well, thank you for keeping me warm."

"I have better ways to keep you warm, but you were asleep."

"You're ego never escapes you does it."

"Nope!"

"Of course not."

"How about we go out to breakfast?"

"I can cook."

"Take the weekend off. You've had a rough week and you could use some pampering."

Once they bathed, Azula took her out to breakfast. Katara had no idea what places were good. She seldom woke up in time for breakfast, much less ate out. They settled on a place that did dim sum, so the flavors were more like lunch, but it tasted good and that's what counted.

"How do you like your food?" Azula asked her wife.

"It's very nice. I really like these little chicken wings." Azula waived her hand, having another plate brought to them.

"Eat up. You're going to need your energy while I'm here." Azula flashed her a carnal smile.

Katara blushed. She did things with Azula she'd never thought she would do with anyone and it all started on their honeymoon.

**6 Months Ago**

After getting married in Omashu, Azula purchased sky ship tickets so they could enjoy a honeymoon in Yu Dao. They were in first class and they had beds side by side. Azula found a large blanket to cover them. "Do you want to join the km high club?" Azula asked.

"Are you already a member?"

"No," Azula said honestly. She had never seen a stewardess hot enough to try to bang.

"Then yes."

Azula crawled on top of her wife, covering her mouth to block her moans as she began her attack.

It would not have been risqué at all if there weren't 6 other people in first class and that was on the tamer side. They screwed in alleys behind restaurants after they had dinner and before they settled the bill. Katara had her first experience with adult toys. She allowed Azula into places that she never thought she would allow anyone to enter. Every time Azula suggested something new, Katara had a blush on her face, but she always felt safe.

She knew the Princess wouldn't hurt her. They would even role play in public. Azula would flirt with a girl just for Katara to come up and be the angry girlfriend, scaring the other girl away. If Azula really wanted it to be passionate, she would kiss the other woman, putting Katara in a combative move before they would get it on.

They did more than just have outrageous sex. They tried the best restaurants, saw a respectable play, and went on hikes and shopping trips. Azula had even taken her ballroom dancing one night.

Katara was impressed with Azula's skill, then again she had been trained to dance.

The waterbender had insisted this was unnecessary. This was not even a real marriage, but Azula said otherwise.

"This may not be the classic: hetero-normative, monogamous, baby-making marriage, but it is a marriage. When I said I would love you, honor you and cherish you until death do us part, I meant it. You deserve everything that a "traditional" bride gets and so much more. So what if I love you as a friend instead of in the romantic fashion? Who knows how many people get married just for politics and have no love at all? So don't fuss about how much money I spend on you or how elaborate our honeymoon is, because it is ours and no one else's."

Katara kissed her and that was the end of that argument.

**Present**

Gaoling

And now here they are in Gaoling, six months later and Katara was happy. She had no idea what her wife would plan for them when it came to excursions or sex, but she knew it would be enjoyable. Azula was the expert at joy, fun, and pleasure. It seemed bizarre that Azula would do this best given her conduct during the war, but her father had done wicked things to her, using fear and manipulation to control her and to teach her this was how to treat others.

When Katara was able to heal her mind, she was able to see that underneath all of the anger and viciousness was a scared girl who was sick of hurting and hurting others. She wanted to feel good and make others feel good for once. So yes, she lied and used booze and other influences to bed lots of girls. None of them could complain that she did not give them the pleasure that they had been seeking. Katara felt lucky that she got so much more from the Princess.

"Would you like a massage?" Azula asked.

"You don't mean a concubine do you?"

"No, I mean a legal massage, although if you do want a concubine…"

"A massage sounds nice." Katara was not sleeping with a concubine.

"Good, they do couples massages in that shop over there."

They went inside and there was an opening in 15 minutes. Azula started kissing her wife's face. "It's nice that we don't know anyone here, and that people don't recognize me with my new haircut."

"Let me guess, you can pick up the same sluts you nailed before with a new hairdo."

"Maybe, but I'm more of a one and done girl."

"We've done it much more than once."

"Well, you're not a ho."

Katara kissed her lips. "Don't forget that."

"I could never."

When they got inside, there was a man and a woman there to massage them. Azula chose the man, which surprised Katara. Maybe she wanted tougher hands.

Azula wanted to make it clear that she was not doing this to get off. The woman was cute. Azula thought it best to stay away from her.

"You have a lot of knots," the masseuse told her.

"I did fly across the world yesterday."

Katara had knots as well, but hers were more likely stress than anything else. Damn her job!

Zuko and Mai enjoyed a nice Saturday to themselves. Luckily, Aang was meditating.

"He needs to let Katara go," Mai told him.

"Preaching to the sage here. I told him that months ago and he says he's over her when he starts a new relationship, just to have it end over her. Toph wouldn't talk to him for a month after the stunt he pulled at our wedding."

**Three Months Ago**

Aang made a fool of himself and Toph. He would look at Katara while he danced with Toph, talk about her when they went for dessert. He even looked for her for over thirty minutes and couldn't figure out where she had gone. When he came back defeated, Toph threw her drink at him and went to hang out with the Duke instead. He had offered to be her date, but she had already agreed to help Aang, big mistake.

Little did they know, Aang couldn't find Katara because she was on all fours getting rammed by her wife.

"Seriously, I thought we would never get away. He was chasing after you all night."

"Don't remind me. He asked to be my date for the wedding, and I said no. Wasn't that a clue?"

"Well, you came without a date, so …"

"I did come with a wife."

"Not yet, but you will soon."

After they were done …

"Do we have to go back to the party?"

"Nah! The cake was served, so we stayed as long as we were obliged."

"Good because I'd rather stay right here."

Aang waited by Katara's door, but when she didn't show after an hour, he gave up and went to bed.

**Present**

"Do you think Toph liked Aang and that's why she was so upset?"

Zuko shook his head. "She likes the Duke, and he wanted to be her date, but she had already agreed to help Aang try to make Katara a little jealous. She didn't, however, expect Aang to totally ignore her the whole time." Zuko learned this from Suki who had seen Toph a little teary-eyed before the night was over.

Mai liked Aang as a person, but his desperation was getting old. What did he even see in Katara that made her so obsession-worthy?

"Have you heard from her lately?"

"Toph or Katara?"

"I meant Katara."

"Not since she moved to Gaoling." She had sent a letter to say she was settled in, but he hadn't heard from her since then.

"Why would she move there?" No one is there.

"I think she moved for the job, and guess who isn't there."

"I hope she didn't move all the way to Gaoling to escape him. That would be disturbing."

"I hope so too," but Zuko wouldn't be surprised. If Aang's like this with them, who know how he gets when she's around.

Later that night, they sat down for dinner again and there was no Azula.

"Did she even come home today?" Mai questioned.

"Maybe she went to Ember's Island," Zuko suggested.

"Without her wingman?"

Zuko frowned. She usually didn't go there without Ty Lee. He summoned a servant. "Have you seen the Princess?"

"No, but I will check with the other servants."

Eventually, word got to Zuko that she had packed a big bag the day before.

"So it wasn't overnight?" Zuko frowned. Where did she go?"


	3. Chapter 2

Lao and Poppy are Toph's parents. The characters are sort of ooc, but I think they are feasible projections of the canon characters. E.g. the Katara we see in the show was forced into the motherhood role at an early age and stuck with it whether or not people wanted to be mothered, Toph for example, but I imagine she would grow out of this as she matured and even get tired of it.

However, she was raised in a tribe where she would be expected to get married and produce heirs at an early age. Her father seems pretty young and presumably her mother was too. I would expect after travelling the world, she might realize there's a lot more for her to do than what is expected of her and she might jump at the chance to say screw it and do something else, like moving to Gaoling and becoming a wterbending teacher and she might be desperate to avoid the life that is being demanded of her, so she marries a friend who promises her freedom in order to dupe them.

I will think more about how to make the connections between the canon character and how I see them now more apparent, and I have some flashbacks planned to try and show what happened in between the war and now, but some more might help

Now they Know (something)

Azula had been in Gaoling for almost a week. During the day, Katara had to teach, which sucked, but Azula managed to sleep much of the day and be very well rested when Katara would return. She took her wife often and liberally, keeping Katara high on endorphins while she dealt with a job she hated.

"We should go out this evening, have a date night."

"But it's a Thursday?"

"So, Thursday's are awesome date nights. The bars still have happy hour, and Friday's not a real workday anyway. It's just a coasting day."

Katara looked at Azula's gold eyes. Her wife would win. "But I don't want to stay out too late."

"You won't. We'll get dinner, find a place with happy hour and leave with plenty of time for me to ravish you and for you to get a good night's sleep."

"Well, when you put it that way."

* * *

Zuko thought about trying to track down his sister. She hadn't been in any fights with anyone in the palace, so she had no reason to run away, but why not say where she was going? He wrote to his uncle for advice. Iroh sent this response.

Dear Zuko,

I have not heard from your sister and do not think she is in Ba Sing Se. Didn't Katara take a job in Gaoling? Maybe she went to visit her there? I'm on my way to the palace, so we can talk further once I get there. I think it's time for a winter break from this frosty city. (Ba Sing Se had lots of frost, but little snow.) Give my regards to Mai.

Iroh

Why would Azula visit Katara?

He showed the letter to Mai who also had no idea why he thought she was with Katara.

They didn't even ask Aang, figuring that Iroh just had a bizarre hunch. When the Prince did get there, Zuko warmly greeted him.

"Zuko, how are you?"

"I'm good, just wondering if I should be worried about Azula. She said she was leaving to 'get laid' and then she packed a big bag and didn't come home."

"Maybe she went on tour," Iroh teased.

"That is disgusting."

"Well, it still sounds like she went to see Katara to me."

"What?" Why would he think that?

"Aren't they dating?"

"HAHAHA!" Mai cackled when Iroh told her what he had told Zuko. "Katara is way to classy to fall for Azula's cheap tricks. She wouldn't just give it up to her like that."

Iroh frowned. Did no one know? "I'm not sure of the nature of their relationship, but I'm quite certain they're involved."

Mai was still laughing.

"Why do you think this?" Zuko asked him.

"At your wedding, they kept giving each other glances, and Azula would rest her hand on Katara's thigh, and they left at the same time, well one after another and then didn't come back that night." There were other clues as well. They had gone to Ba Sing Se and Jin had seen them hooking up in the alley behind his teashop. He had also seen them break apart after what looked like an embrace.

"Well the hand on the thigh is weird, but maybe Azula was just flirting with her. She flirts a lot, even if she'll get turned down," Mai reasoned.

"Do you know anything else?"

Iroh turned red. "I didn't mean to out them. I thought it was common knowledge."

"What was common knowledge?" Aang asked when he entered.

"Iroh thinks Azula and Katara are dating?" Mai laughed.

"What? Katara wouldn't date Azula. No way!"

Iroh frowned. Well, he is her ex. "I don't want to get into trouble here. Maybe you should just ask them."

"There's no harm in sending Katara a letter and seeing if Azula is with her," Zuko reasoned.

* * *

Katara got his letter, expedited of course and told her wife. "Your brother's worried about you. He asked if you were here."

"He's actually concerned?"

"He is your brother."

"So. Sokka doesn't know where you go."

"He also doesn't live with me. What should I write back?'

"Tell him the truth with as much detail as you feel comfortable relaying."

Dear Zuko,

Azula is staying with me. She came to visit after I told her how I was lonely in Gaoling, and I don't like my job. She didn't think you would be concerned about her absence. I will have her send you a letter when she has decided on a return date.

Hope this reaches you soon. Tell Mai I say hi.

Katara

Zuko got the letter. "Iroh was right. She was with Katara."

"That doesn't mean they're dating," Aang insisted.

"She didn't say anything about dating. She just said Azula came to visit. But why did Azula say she was getting laid?"

"Well, knowing Azula, she might have nailed a slut on her way there," Mai saw no reason to think she and Katara were dating.

"I guess. Well, she's safe, so that's all that matters."

"I can't imagine Azula being good company," Aang grumbled. Why would Katara write to her of all people if she were lonely?

Katara had a great time with Azula there, but she knew Azula could not stay forever. Her home was in the Fire Nation and soon, she would be returning to it, leaving Katara alone in a city working at a job she hated. She remembered the promise Azula requested of her when she had proposed.

"All I ask is that you are true to yourself when you live your life. Live for yourself instead of the expectations of others."

Katara thought about it. She was not being true to herself. She took the job thinking that she would get students who were excited to learn how to waterbend and instead she felt like she was running daycare for rich people. It left her drained and she had no feeling of fulfillment like she had when she had learned to waterbend. It was awful.

She quit effective immediately. They were not happy, but she didn't even stay to listen to them yell at her. She just walked out the door. When she got home, Azula was asleep in bed. Katara woke her up.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you at work?"

"I quit."

"What?"

"I wasn't being true to myself. It was a dead end job that made me miserable and kept me living here for no reason."

"How do you feel now?"

"Like an anchor has been lifted."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know yet."

"You could go to Kyoshi Island or you could come home with me."

"Can we do both? I want to visit my brother, but I don't think I want to stay on the island."

"Sure, we can take the long way home."

Azula wrote to her brother.

"Dear Zuzu,

As you heard, I came to cheer up Katara. Well, no amount of cheering up could save her employment in Gaoling. She hated it, so she quit. We're going to Kyoshi Island, so she can visit her brother on the way home, so I guess it will be another week to ten days before I am back at the palace. Don't wait up."

Azula

"She's travelling with her to Kyoshi Island?" Zuko was starting to get suspicious. Azula could have come straight home and let Katara go to visit her brother. Why does she need company?

He showed the letter to Mai.

"It still doesn't mean they're dating."

"But why not come straight home?"

"So she can visit Ty Lee and annoy Suki in one go."

"Oh, that's a good reason."

They decided not to share the information with Aang as he was not going to be here when they arrived anyway. There was no reason to rouse his suspicions.

* * *

Unfortunately, Aang had also decided to visit Sokka. Ty Lee thought he was cute and fair game and decided to flirt with him.

"I like your shirt," she told him.

"Thanks, Katara got it for me."

Ty Lee frowned. Not the best start. "So what have you been doing this winter?"

"Some ships were having trouble navigating through the choppy waters. I had to do a couple of rescues and guide the ships so they didn't capsize."

"That must have been exciting."

"It was fun. It was a true test to my waterbending."

"That's good, well as long as you passed right?"

He smiled. Ty Lee was sweet and pretty. Maybe they could date.

He spent the next few days trying to talk to her. She welcomed his advances and started to flirt.

Sokka looked at the two. "She's such a flirt."

"Well, maybe Aang needs this. He's been pining for Katara for too long."

Sokka had been rooting for Aang once, but Katara just did not want to stay with him. She broke up with him over and over again, and he kept coming back for more. Maybe it was time to move on to someone new.

"I know. He sounded depressed in his letter. Maybe Ty Lee can cheer him up."

Unfortunately, his cheer only lasted about 5 days."

He was on his way back to the house when he saw Katara walking towards it. He ran up to her, just to see Azula right behind her, carrying their luggage.

"Why did you bring Azula with you?" he had a bit of an accusing tone.

"Well, she needed help with her bags, but since you are the almighty Avatar," Azula dumped both bags on him and walked away, quickly.

"That was mean," Katara giggled.

"He deserved it."

Sokka was happy to see his sister, Azula not so much.

"You brought her?"

"Sokka, she's my friend, and she came to visit me in Gaoling, unlike someone."

"Fine!"

Ty Lee was happy. "Zula!" she hugged her friend. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

"Well it would be a crummy surprise if I did."

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you, while Katara visits Sokka."

"You two came together?"

"We are friends, Ty Lee."

"I keep forgetting that. You don't seem too friendly with each other."

"What do you mean?"

"I see you two bickering all the time."

"We just like to disagree with each other, kind of like Mai and me, well not exactly like that."

"Aang's here."

"I know. I already had the displeasure of seeing him."

"I don't know why you two can't get along."

"I can't explain it to you." The jerk wants my wife, and she doesn't like him like that.

"Well, maybe it will get better."

"Will he get reincarnated into a real man?"

"That's mean. I think he's cute."

"Well you would like a boy whose head looks like the head of a penis."

Ty Lee's mouth gaped open. "That is just terrible."

"I don't like penises."

Aang begrudgingly took Katara's and Azula's bags inside. Azula took her bag to Ty Lee's room. She was unsure where Katara would sleep, obviously sharing with Sokka and Suki was a no go, and she would not want to share with Aang.

Katara ended up sharing with Rai. "Thanks. Sorry I didn't give you any notice."

"That's no trouble hun. You're a cutie."

Katara blushed.

"What? You don't like girls."

"It's not that."

"Oh so I have a chance."

"Maybe, but not here."

"Because of your brother."

"Something like that. (because of my wife)"

"Well, a girl can dream can't she?" Puberty had treated Katara well. She had already started during the war, but after it was over, her breasts got fuller and her ass got nice and round, firm with just a bit of jiggle to it. She got taller too, which only made her curves more appealing. She was pretty freaking hot and even though she wasn't fully aware of it, she had been aware of her increased libido.

During dinner, the awkwardness began.

Aang asked Katara if she had been seeing anyone.

"Not exclusively," Katara said which was true.

"What does that mean?" he questioned.

"It means they see each other, but she was free to see other people, you know, like the opposite of what you want with her," Azula said bluntly.

"I didn't ask you," he snapped.

"Who cares? Anyone here can tell you she doesn't want you. How many times did she have to dump you, four, five?"

"It wasn't that many? Was it?" Suki was unsure.

"It was twice," Aang said.

Katara shook her head. It was at least four times, two of which he did not seem to take seriously. She would say it was over and he would say, you don't mean that, or maybe you're just tired. It was patronizing, like he didn't think she could make up her own mind. She would have to either put his stuff outside or take off before he would realize he had been dumped, no matter how many times she said it to his face.

"Anyway, how was Gaoling?" Sokka changed the subject.

"It sucked, so I quit my job."

"Why wasn't it fun?" Ty Lee asked.

"I didn't know anyone and my students weren't motivated. Their parents were awful. The most fun I had was when Azula showed up unannounced and insisted on dim sum."

Azula smirked. That's a lie. We did way more fun things than that.

"You like showing up unannounced," Aang said with a sneer towards the princess.

"At least I'm not homeless." He just bums of his friends.

He turned red. Her country destroyed my home. How dare she!

"Calm down," Suki said. "I do not want you two destroying this house."

"I can control myself," Azula said with a smirk.

"I know you can, but will you?"

"Yes. I will."

"Fine."

After dinner, Katara bee lined out of there to get away from Aang.

"Why did she run off so fast?" Sokka asked.

Suki gave him a look. Duh!

The waterbender was about to get to her room when she felt a hand pull her into the bathroom.

"You shouldn't antagonize him."

"You know you get turned on when I'm aggressive."

"So not the point."

"So is the point. He can't please you himself. At least let him give you some use."

Before Katara could retort, Azula captured her in a kiss, pressing her to the counter. Katara locked her legs around her wife. This was going to be fun.

Aang sat down outside. Suki went to talk to him.

"Are you okay?"

"I just don't know what I did wrong? I thought we were doing just fine, but then Katara said it was over."

"Maybe it was about her. She might not want to be tied down right now."

"But I love her."

"Then you have to let her go. If she's yours, then she will come back."

Aang hated letting her go. He almost died because he was so bad at it.

Ty Lee could hear whimpering in the bathroom. Was Azula banging a warrior already? She makes quick work. She didn't even get anyone drunk. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, Ty Lee waited down the hall to see who left the bathroom.

She was stunned when she saw Katara leave and then Azula two minutes later. She questioned her friend when it was time for bed.

"So what's going on with you and Katara?"

"We're friends."

"Friends who go to the bathroom together?"

"She needed help with her hair."

"Does she always moan like a slut when she needs help with her hair."

"She is not a slut," Azula said firmly.

"So she's your girlfriend."

"No. It's complicated."

"You're the non-exclusive person she is seeing."

"Yes, but you can't tell anyone, and I mean anyone. Not Mai, not Suki, not Rai."

"I get it, and that's why you got so annoyed with Aang."

"She doesn't want him. If he hadn't been so pushy with her, she probably wouldn't have wanted to hook up with me."

"Shouldn't you be thanking him then?"

"No. He stresses her out. I'm her stress reliever. I'd rather her not be stressed in the first place."

"So this isn't just fun for you."

"Like I said. She's not a slut."

"How did this start?"

"I can't tell you. I will, before I have to tell everyone, but for now, I need to keep this quiet. It's a long story involving a lot of stuff."

"How mysterious," a damsel in distress being rescued by a womanizing lesbian.

The next day, the group all went outside for morning training. Having been trained by Piando, Sokka helped the train the warriors with swords. Ty Lee was their expert in hand-to-hand combat. Azula's expertise, of course, was firebending. She offered to help them learn to fight fire. Every now and then, some rogue ex-military members came to start trouble.

"That would be nice," Suki said sincerely, "but it's kind of dry right now. I wouldn't want there to be a fire."

"I'm sure Katara could put it out." Azula winked at her. Katara laughed. Aang frowned. "How about we spar?" Azula said to the waterbender. "I think you're the only one here who can handle me."

"Challenge accepted."

Katara filled her waterskin and the battle was on. They had sparred several times since their agni kai, but this was the first one that people had watched. Azula went first. She always did since fire was faster than water. Katara easily evaded her and returned with an ice dagger, which Azula melted.

"Ice, already. You usually let me warm up first."

"No warm ups this time."

Everyone turned to watch. Was this normal for them?

Before Azula could attack again, Katara sent a whip right at her head. Azula rolled under it and threw fire at Katara's feet making her jump. They danced around each other, fire and ice getting dangerously close to the other, but they trusted each other not to get hit.

It started of slow and easy and moved into a frantic battle. Time was not on Katara's side as she would run out of water soon. Azula knew this. "What do I get if I win?"

"Who cares? You won't." Katara froze her hands together. Azula melted the ice with her mouth. Instead of sending the attack directly at Katara, Azula sent a fire wall behind her, forcing her closer. Katara moved on a diagonal, trying to keep her distance and avoid the flames. Azula knew that was her only option and met her on a diagonal, tackling her to the ground. Azula was the only one with trained hand-to-hand combat experience. She pinned Katara easily.

"I think I should get a kiss for winning," she declared before kissing her wife on the lips. Katara returned the kiss to everyone's surprise. Aang was furious.

"GET OFF HER!" He moved to intervene, but Azula picked them up off the ground before he got there.

"Jealous?" she loved to tease him.

"What's wrong with you? Katara is not some bar skank."

"I know. I've also conquered dancers, singers and debutantes. I go for women from all walks of life."

"She is not to be conquered," Aang asserted.

"Unless it's by you, right?" Azula stared down at him. Aang was a late bloomer. He was 15, and taller than he had been during the war, but he was still more boy than man on the inside and out. He was lanky, no broad chests or manly muscles coming in. Azula still thought he resembled a penis with that baldhead of his. Azula, on the other hand, was 17 going on 18 and had clearly matured as a woman. She was confident in her sexuality, and she had no problem showing it.

"How about we move onto yoga?" Ty Lee said breaking them up.

After their yoga and stretching, Katara went to freshen up before spending the rest of the workday with her brother. Of course, her wife caught her, as she was just ready to leave her bedroom. "You're so sexy when you fight me," Azula said as she pressed a kiss to her lips.

Katara wasn't sure when seeing Azula fight went from scary to sexy, but maybe the scariness never really left. Azula was powerful, sometimes more dragon than woman, and she had a temper. Once Katara started to trust her, however, she was able to focus on how thrilling it was to see her with her flame. It's like firebending and sex were one in the same for her, so much passion, so hot, and so dangerous. "Everyone's going to ask about that kiss now."

"Do you mind?" Everyone would know eventually.

"No." It's fun sneaking around, but it's also fun to not have a care in the world, to let passion take over in public. It was wrong, kissing like that in front of her brother and her ex-boyfriend, but that only made it hotter. "I like being bad with you."

"Good." Azula snuck out of her room before she got caught.

Sure enough, Aang invited himself when Sokka and Katara left to patrol their area.

"I don't know why you didn't just slap her," Aang growled.

"Yeah, since when does Azula kiss you?"

"She's just a little puckish."

"Puckish?" Sokka questioned.

"You know, playful in a naughty way, like a child pulling a prank on his teacher. She just likes to get people riled up." Katara had become used to her antics when she helped Azula transition from the asylum to the palace. It was Azula's way of deflecting tension or creating it.

"She shouldn't use you like that." Aang countered.

"If I didn't want her to kiss me, I would have stopped her." I can take care of myself.

That's all Katara said on the matter, leaving Aang and Sokka confused.

"What is going on?" Sokka wondered.

Aang wondered if Katara and Azula really were dating. Iroh seemed to think so. Azula had gone to Gaoling with her. She's here with her. Katara's going to the palace. No way. She wouldn't date someone like Azula, who flirts with every pretty girl she sees, who lies to girls to sleep with them, gets them drunk, and is generally a terrible person. Katara's better than that.

Ty Lee and Azula patrolled downtown. "What was that this morning?"

"What? Katara and I spar a lot."

"Do you always kiss like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you just came home from battle and your woman was waiting for you."

Azula laughed. "Sometimes. She likes variety, and I aim to please."

"I thought Aang was going to kill you."

"Like he could. What would he do? Take away my bending for turning his ex-girlfriend gay."

Ty Lee snickered. "She's hot."

"Yeah she is, hot for the Princess, what?"

"You're so boastful."

"I learned from you."

"What?"

"You hooked up left and right at the academy, no commitments, no problems. You're the first true player and I admire your work."

"Well, I'd like something more substantial now."

"Don't tell me you're still into penis-head. He's still not over her."

"I know. I tried flirting with him, but the conversation always comes back to her."

"How pathetic!"

"He loves her." That's not pathetic.

"No he's obsessed with her." Azula insisted, more aggressively than she had intended. "He doesn't know her. He thinks she's this precious doll that has to be handled with kid gloves, but she's strong, stubborn, fiery. She needs someone who will listen when she speaks her mind, let her do what she wants to without reservations, give her passion, intensity, and an argument sometimes. All he tries to do is keep her docile. It's like taking the claws from a wolf or the fire out of a dragon. That's not love at all."

"You love her."

"What? She's my buddy. You know, like you're my buddy."

"You're sleeping with her."

"I used to sleep with you."

"Not like that."

"Of course not. I had no experience before you."

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. "I don't mean your skills and you know it. You understand her. You care for her. You want to defend her against the world. That's love."

"No, that's being a friend. I was a jerk when we were involved and for a long time afterwards. I'm a better person now. It doesn't make this love."

"You just can't see it. Maybe she can't either, but what I saw today was more than just two friends playing around. Trust me, I played around with a lot of girls. I know." Ty Lee could see their auras, not that Azula would give that any credence.

"Well even if you were right, which you're not, I promised her I wouldn't be like Aang. I'll never ask her to pick me above everyone else and to settle down."

"Maybe she'll want to pick you and settle down."

"I doubt it."

Their conversation was interrupted by a scream.

The two girls ran to see masked men robbing a store. Azula ran to the front entrance while Ty Lee ran through the back. She chi blocked the man who had jumped the counter, sending him to the floor. There were three men, one of them was the lookout. Azula told him to move. He pulled out a dagger, but Azula fireballed him in the chest before he could use it. Azula ran inside. She looked around quickly, wanting to make sure she didn't hit any innocents. She engaged the other robber who was almost at Ty Lee. She hit him with a fire whip, singing the counter as she made him stop his attack. He turned around and brandished a large sword.

The battle was on, Azula avoided slashes while she tried to contain her fire. She did not want to set the store ablaze. She burned him, but not before he gashed her on the back as she was delivering a roundhouse kick. She winced in pain, blood going down her back, but she would not give in. For the first time in years, she struck a man with lightening. This bolt was smaller, subdued, but it knocked him out cold. Ty Lee rushed to Azula's aid, bandaging her back.

"Get Katara for me, please."

Ty Lee ran off to get her. The store owner came out of hiding. "Thank you, so much."

She got Azula a little couch to lie on. When Ty Lee found Katara, she was fussing with Aang. He had offered to fly her to her next destination. She insisted she was sailing with Azula.

"Why would you want to go with her?"

"She already bought us first class tickets."

"Nice!" Sokka interjected.

"Katara, we need you."

"What?" she turned to see Ty Lee.

"Azula got stabbed by a robber."

Katara took off running, leaving her argument with Aang behind. Aang froze there until Sokka ran after them and then Aang followed. On the way, Sokka saw Suki.

"Azula got stabbed by a robber."

"What?" She joined to and when they got to the store, they saw that the store owner had tied up the criminals. Suki lifted their dragon shaped masks. To her surprise, they were not Fire Nation. They were from the Earth Kingdom.

"The masks made people assume we were Fire Nation," the man grumbled when she asked him about it, of course, an easy disguise.

Katara got to Azula. "Take off your shirt."

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"You just got stabbed! Are you seriously that horny?"

"Do you need me to answer that?"

Azula tore off the shirt. It was ruined anyway and Katara cleaned the wound before beginning to mend it. She thought battle scars were sexy, but she didn't want to leave Azula marred more than she already was. Her father left plenty of marks on her, but they were hard to see, unlike Zuko's. When Katara realized how vicious the girl's upbringing had been, she began to see the firebender in a new light. "I'll need to treat this a few times to deal with the scar tissue."

"So I get to take off my shirt a few more times. I can handle that."

"You're a cow pig."

"Yes, but you like me anyway."

Aang came in to see Katara on top of Azula. She was topless and only had a shirt that was under her arms to cover her breasts. Katara had to take off her binding to treat the wound. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he said, not very enthusiastically. No one caught his tone, well other than Azula.

"We already sent the robbers to jail, and I think Katara has the healing under control." Ty Lee answered in her normal bubbly tone.

"Are you in pain?" Katara asked her.

"I've had worse, but I'll be okay."

"I can give you pain blockers back at the house."

"If you can just sit with me, that would be nice."

"Okay."

The store owner, of course, gave Azula a free shirt to wear home. It was the least she could do.

Katara took her back to the warrior house and Azula rested with her head in Katara's lap. "Sorry to ruin your day with your brother."

"Do not apologize for this. Plus it had already been ruined."

"Sokka didn't give you a hard time because I kissed you, did he?"

"No, Aang did enough of that for both of them. He even wanted to take me to the palace, so you wouldn't 'force yourself' on me. He doesn't trust us alone together."

"I could say the same for him."

"You know I don't want him!" Katara sounded offended, like Azula thought she would go back.

Azula realized she was in hot water. "I know you don't want him. I worry that he won't take always no for an answer."

"He's not like that." He wouldn't force himself on her.

"Not yet, but he's obsessed with you. He thinks you belong together, that he's entitled to you." Azula knew she was treading in dangerous territory. Aang was Katara's friend, but she had to let her concerns be known.

"I know he's slow on the uptake, but that hardly makes him a rapist."

"It's not like there's two categories of men, rapists and regular. Rape is about entitlement and power. He wants to be with you so badly he refuses to acknowledge that you don't want to be with him. He feels entitled to you, that he deserves you and he prioritizes his desire for you above your desire to be free of him.

I'm not saying he's going to try to force himself on you. I can't possibly know that, but I do know the way he is thinking and the way he behaves towards you: his jealousy, obsessiveness, trying to control your actions. All of those are bad signs. They show that he wants all of the power and he's trying to leave you with none. That's what rape is about.

I just don't want him to hurt you."

"I can protect myself."

"I know you can. I know that better than most people, but what if he tried something and you had to hurt him to get away. That would hurt you, even if you were physically fine."

Katara didn't want to hear this. Azula had to be wrong, but what she was saying made sense. "Can we talk about something else now?"

"Anything you want," Azula knew not to push her.

"Can we just sit here?"

"Of course."

On their last night at the island, Ty Lee suggested they all go out dancing at this new club. Katara put on a black leather shirt, sleeveless, showing a fair bit of cleavage and a skirt. It was cold, but she had a coat to go over it. She thought about getting a haircut as she looked in the mirror. Azula's looked damn good. Maybe her stylist could cut hers too.

Azula donned a sleeveless red top and dark pants, tight pants, painted on pants. She put on a gold necklace to catch people's attention, and it matched her eyes.

Ty Lee wore a cute pink dress. "Ooh! Someone's looking hot tonight." Ty Lee teased.

"I like to look my best when I go out."

"Dressing up for a waterbender?"

"No!"

"Dressing up for a bimbo?"

"No. I'm not going for a tramp tonight."

"There's a first."

They all got ready to go. Aang blushed when he saw Katara. "You look great," he squeaked.

"Thanks, Aang," Katara said in a subdued manner.

Of course, Azula made a crass comment. "Letting the twins out to play!"

"You're such a cow pig," Katara said to her with a slight smile.

"You say cow pig, I say a breasts- expert, breastpert, and yours are extraordinary."

Katara rolled her eyes.

They all went out to the club and Azula bought the first round of shots. "Let's have a good night on the party express!"

Katara took her shot easily. Aang didn't remember her doing shots when they were together. Azula must be a bad influence on her.

People started to dance. Azula started to dance by herself. She knew how to work her body, and she was getting people to cheer. Showing off was fun. Sokka danced with Suki. Most of the warriors danced together and of course, Aang went to dance with Katara.

Katara danced with him, but she kept her distance. Some of the couples on the floor, namely Sokka and Suki were grinding on each other and there was no way Aang was grinding on her. Katara saw Azula dancing with this random girl. Azula made sure to look Katara's way. Katara glared.

Azula thought she looked hot when she was angry. The girl kissed Azula. She didn't kiss her back, not with much fervor anyway, but she gave it a couple of seconds before she pulled back. Katara was annoyed, but she wasn't angry. She knew Azula wouldn't take this girl home or even give her an alley fuck, but she didn't like seeing her kiss a nameless ho. She was starting to feel her blood boil. "I need to use the ladies' room," Katara left the dance floor.

Azula took the tramp to the alley where she gave her money to get a ride home. "Sorry, I have my eyes on a different girl tonight."

The girl was drunk and would not say no to free money. Azula waited for the coast to clear and then slipped into the bathroom.

"Took you long enough."

"You know I have to keep up my image."

Katara kissed her. "You taste like cheap liquor and lip salve."

"Sorry, she had a cheap palate." Azula pressed her up against the stall, moving her skirt out the way as she got to her lover's sweet spot.

Ty Lee noticed that both girls were absent, those sluts. To distract Aang, she asked him to dance, taking him away from staring in the direction of the ladies' room. Eventually, Katara came back. Her hair was a bit mussed up, but other than that, no signs of hooking up. Azula on the other hand came back in from the alley with a smirk on her face.

"That girl who kissed me, totally nailed her," Azula lied (by omission). No one wanted to hear the story, but she told them all how she pressed the girl up against the wall and had her way with her. Only Katara and Ty Lee knew otherwise. It was kind of hot, hearing about her own sexual escapade, but Katara had to pretend to be repulsed.

"Do you do anything other than brag about your nasty encounters?" Aang growled at her.

"I also dance." She took Katara's hand and brought her to the dance floor, putting her hands on the girl's hips and swaying behind her.

"In my story, the girl was wearing panties. You weren't," Azula whispered in her ear.

"I took them off for you. They're back on now."

"Darn. I was wondering how much we could get away with right here, on this floor." She put her hands on Katara's behind and squeezed. "Do you think you could get off if you ground yourself against my leg?"

Katara leaned in. "Only one way to find out."

No one could ignore the sexual tension between the two women as they writhed against each other on the dance floor. Azula didn't kiss her. She had already laid her claim on the waterbender.

In the midst of the crowd, it was hard to see what they were doing. Katara was too close to her peak and if she screamed out loud, everyone would know. To cover their misdeeds, Katara pulled her wife into a kiss, using Azula's lips to mask the sounds coming out of her mouth. Azula was pleasantly surprised by the gesture. She wondered what Aang would do if he knew she was getting Katara off, at this very second, as he stared at her blankly.

Katara must be drunk, Aang realized, and Azula's taking advantage. No way would Katara kiss her like that if she were sober. Before he could get to them, Azula broke the kiss. "Let's get you some water."

At the end of the night, Katara went to Rai's room. Aang stopped her on the way. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you home tomorrow?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm fine?"

"But you'll be alone with Azula."

"I made it here in one piece."

"What is she doing to you?"

"What?"

"You aren't like this, getting drunk, kissing girls, Azula of all people. Does she do this often, get you drunk so she can have her way with you."

"I'm not even drunk, and she doesn't use me."

"She uses every girl, Katara."

"No, she doesn't." Aang didn't know the half of it. Katara went to bed.

Rai heard the argument from her room, but she said nothing about it. She was, however, curious about a related matter.

"Is Azula a good kisser?"

"She is," Katara told her.

"How many times have you kissed?"

Katara couldn't give her a precise number.

"That many times. She's the one you're dating, isn't she?"

"Yes," Katara whispered. "I knew everyone would react badly, so I didn't tell anyone."

"I can't judge you. She's really hot, but didn't it bother you when she kissed that other girl right in front of you. You aren't exclusive but …"

"That girl was nothing. Azula just paid for her carriage ride home. She made up the sex story to keep up her image."

"Or she lied about the girl to protect her image."

"What?"

"You were gone while Azula was in the alley."

"I wasn't in the alley."

"Was she?"

Katara blushed. "Maybe she came into the bathroom with me."

"You little minx."

The following morning, the two girls got waved off as they headed home.


	4. Chapter 3

Business was normal at the palace. Iroh had returned back to his teashop. He made no more mention of Azula and Katara, but he was certain they were "something." Zuko was waiting for his wife to return. She had gone to visit her brother for the day. Zuko pitied the poor boy. His parents smothered him too much. He needed to have fun, actually play outside and heaven forbid, with other children.

The palace felt empty right now. Azula had been gone for weeks. He was surprised she had just taken off without telling anyone, but his sister was not exactly normal. What was going on with her and Katara? She just ran off to Gaoling because Katara was lonely? It sounded like what a girlfriend would do, but Azula had been messing around too much after Katara left. What kind of girlfriend is that?

He suddenly realized something. Aang left to visit Sokka on Kyoshi Island, which means he likely was there when Katara and Azula showed up. If they are a couple, and he saw them together, then he would have had a bad reaction. He's been agonizing over their breakup for too long.

He wondered if he had dismissed Iroh out of hand. The older prince looked at him as if he wanted to say more when he first thought they were together, but then he didn't. Maybe he knew Aang would flip out. Although Zuko understood not telling Aang, why didn't Azula tell anyone, to shield Katara's reputation?

Zuko kept trying to tell himself that they were just good friends who's looks and glances might have been misinterpreted. Azula was no fan of Aang. If Katara felt like she needed refuge from him, like at the wedding, maybe Azula was the perfect ally. Everyone else expected them to get married eventually. It was just too unbelievable to think that Katara would sleep with Azula.

Azula would sleep with Katara no doubt. The Princess liked to go on about how she had matured into a fine young lady, or a MILF (Masterbender I'd like to Feel), which was a rarity since most of the masterbenders are old and wrinkly, not to mention male, but Katara would never settle for being a notch on a belt or a cheap thrill.

Mai finally came home. "I missed you," Zuko said as they kissed.

"Well, now I'm back."

"How's Tom Tom?"

"As good as he can be given his parents."

"Burn… Well, he'll have a niece or nephew to play with, eventually."

"So you're not totally freaked out by having a baby."

"I know we will have one, but the thought of it just magically appearing freaks me out."

"I wish it were magic, then I wouldn't have to get fat."

"Just more of you to love."

"And I'll get all bitchy and crazy."

"I love it when you do that."

She glared.

"Not that you ever do that."

"I know, I have mood swings, and as it turns out you can't just drink them all away."

"Who thought you could do that?"

"Azula would offer me booze."

"Well, vices were always more of her thing."

"She's just lucky she's a lesbian or she'd be pregnant by now."

Zuko shivered at that thought. "Do you think she's actually dating Katara?"

"What? Maybe if Katara started abusing drugs or lost her mind."

"I know, but the evidence is stacking up."

"What evidence?"

"Let's see: the wedding and their possible disappearance together, Azula rushes to Gaoling because Katara is sad, she stays with her for two weeks just to go with her to visit her brother, who she doesn't even like and I got the feeling from Iroh there was more he wanted to tell us, but he held back because of Aang."

"Maybe there is, but it just sounds so bizarre. It can't possibly be right. There must be some other explanation."

"Well, they'll be here soon, not that Azula ever tells me anything."

"No, she tells you what you don't want to hear, like about some bimbo and how it was a letdown when she found out the girl stuffed her top."

"Should I ask Katara?" It wasn't his business, but she was his friend. What if Azula was leading her on?

"Maybe I'll ask her. She might not want to talk to you about it if there is something going on."

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right." Mai kissed him. "How about we focus on us for now?"

"I like the way you think."

Suki and Sokka were outside having tea. Aang ranted for much of the day about Azula's behavior and why would Katara tolerate it? Why would she kiss her? UGH!

Sokka had no idea what was going on, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Suki wondered if Katara this was her teenage rebellion in play. Get it all out of her system before she looks for someone to settle down with. This was common, especially at the warrior house. Suki had overheard more trysts than she would have liked to, but in a house full of hormonal girls, it happens.

7 Months Ago (Two Weeks after Katara dumped Aang and Two weeks Before the Prologue)

Suki was making dinner. It was her day off and Sokka, the Southern Water Tribe's ambassador to the Earth Kingdom, was on his way home from a meeting with the ambassador from the Northern Water Tribe. He had his work cut out for him. Arnook took offense to Sokka's moving onto Yue so quickly after she died. Suki never quite understood that. Her death was a tragedy, but Arnook was forcing her to marry another anyway. She never would have been able to marry for love and Sokka never would have had a chance. He would have had to move on even if she had lived. If Hahn had a new girlfriend the next day, outrage over that would have been more understandable.

Anyway, Sokka was trying to appease his fellow tribesmen of the North and one of their issues was trying to figure out who would be Chief since Arnook never had a son. The arrangement to make Hahn the new Chief failed and even though Hahn was still willing to do it, the elders would not approve of the breaking of tradition.

Sokka came home. "Hey Suki," he greeted her with a quick kiss.

"Hey Sokka, how was work?"

"It was interesting."

"Were you able to help them with their Chief problem?"

"I'm not sure if it will work, but they had an idea."

"What?"

"They want Katara to be their Princess."

"What? Why?"

"The idea is that she would marry one of men from their tribe and that man would then become chief."

"What if she says no?" She won't just marry some guy so they can have a chief.

"She gets to pick the guy."

"What if she refuses all of the guys or refuses to move there at all. What if she married Aang?"

"Well if she marries Aang, the subject is moot. If she refuses to marry them, one of them could call for a Bisai."

"A what?"

"It's a tournament where each man who wants a chance to marry her enters and the winner gets to marry her."

"She's not a prize." Suki thought this was appalling

"I know and it won't happen. Hakoda would have to agree to let them make her their princess and he won't." He's set on Katara marrying Aang anyway.

"What if he does?"

"This is all theoretical anyway. It's unclear if the tribe will actually take this course of action. They were just floating the idea. I said I'd tell my father and I will. I wouldn't get worried yet."

"What about Katara?"

"We can't tell her. She'll freak out and murder someone."

"Then they shouldn't do it."

"Of course, but this is diplomacy. We have to at least pretend they might be able to do it even if we say no later."

Suki held her tongue, but she did sent Katara a letter, explaining to her what she learned might happen.

Present

There was still no word on if they were going forward with this crazy idea to make Katara become their princess, but Suki wondered if Azula was her way of warding off suitors. The girl was scary and could go toe to toe with any guy from the tribe, or maybe rumors that Katara was a lesbian would turn them off. If they were anything like Sokka, it might just turn them on instead. She couldn't run this idea by Sokka because she never told him that she told Katara about Arnook's idea. She could only wait and see if Arnook tried this maneuver and what Katara did in response.

Around the warrior house, everyone knew bits and pieces of the story, but no one had the whole thing. Suki knew that the fate Katara was trying to escape. Ty Lee knew that Azula was helping Katara with something. Rai knew Katara was getting laid and enjoying it. Sokka knew that his sister was unpredictable, and Aang was convinced that Azula was corrupting the waterbender. Her ability to manipulate was second to none, and Aang wondered how to get her back. He couldn't get through to her. Sokka and Suki seemed disinterested in getting involved. He needed to know more. Aang decided to go to Ba Sing Se to find out what was going on.

"We'll be there in a couple of hours," Azula said as Katara woke up. "Do you want breakfast now or later?"

"Now please."

Azula rang the bell and the food came right to them.

"I'm going to miss this."

"Waking up to my beautiful face?"

"I mean just us. It's nice not having other people in our hair."

"You mean bald people."

"I mean everyone. He's the worst, but I'm sure Sokka and Suki would be up in arms if they knew and I can't imagine Zuko taking it well. He's all about honor and protecting me from harm."

"You would think he was your brother."

"He would protect you, but you're the harm."

"That's right. I'm no good, and I like it that way." Azula kissed her.

"You have a good side. You just like to hide it."

"Shh!" Azula kissed her. "That's a marital secret."

Once the ship landed, they had a carriage take them to the palace.

A servant notified the Fire Lord upon their return.

"My Lord, you sister and Master Katara have returned to the palace."

Zuko pursed his lips. "Very well. Have a room prepared for Katara make sure the cook knows there will be dinner for four tonight."

"Yes my Lord."

So Katara did come with Azula. Her letter had been ambiguous.

Zuko decided to greet them. "Katara welcome." He hugged her and then his sister who of course rolled her eyes.

"Azula said I could stay until I found a new job. I hope that's all right."

"Of course it is. You're welcome anytime. How's your brother?"

"The same as always."

"So getting bopped on the head by Suki."

"Yes."

"Well, I must get back to work, but I hope to hear about your travels during dinner."

"Of course."

Katara headed to her room. She was in need of a bath. "Do you want me to help you?" Azula hissed in her ear.

Before she could answer, Mai appeared. "Azula, you do live here."

"I do. I just decided to go on a trip."

"And you forgot to leave a note."

"I didn't think anyone would pay much attention. I come and go as I please when I'm here."

"Yes, but Zuko likes confirmation that you're not dead every now and then."

"Oh, he's so cute when he cares."

"Leave a note next time you run away."

"Yes, Mother."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Katara, it's been a while since I've seen you. Why don't we catch up with some tea? Are you free in an hour."

"Of course."

"I would invite you Azula, but you're too much trouble."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Azula smirked as she went to her room. She wondered what Mai wanted with Katara. Was it time to eavesdrop? Nah! Katara will spill later.

Azula took the passageway from her room to where Katara's room was; she always got the room with the pavilion that overlooked the pond. When Katara went to take her bath, her wife was waiting. "Want me to wash your back."

"Yes, and I can work on your scar. Get your shirt off."

"Ooh! I likey."

This was mostly a platonic bath. Katara did some healing and then Azula washed her. She barely copped a feel.

"Are you getting soft on me?" Katara teased.

"Never, but I don't want to get you turned on and then send you to my sister in law."

"Haha! Jealous?"

"No, she doesn't sway that way. Agni knows Ty Lee tried hard enough to get a threesome with us."

Katara eyes widened at that tidbit of information.

"Well, I must be going. I wouldn't want to get caught," she said with a wink as she returned to her chambers.

Katara put on a simple sundress. In the summer, she thought the Fire Nation was too hot, but in the winter the warmth was nice. She went out to Mai's tea room where an assortment of cookies and fruit was waiting, along with the Fire Lady.

"So I take it you didn't like Gaoling."

"I thought it was the city, but then I realized it was more the job. I just didn't like it, and it wasn't worth being there if I didn't know anyone. Gaoling is actually a pretty decent city, well if you avoid the slime. How are things at the palace?"

"They're calm now. Aang had visited us, as had Iroh, but Azula was gone before he got here."

"She didn't tell me he was visiting."

"She probably didn't know. He didn't say he was coming until after she disappeared."

"I'm sorry that she gave you a fright."

"I wasn't frightened; well, I thought just maybe an angry husband might have killed her, but I quickly realized that was unlikely. She never goes to a bimbo's house and she never spends the night with them afterwards, so she wouldn't have been caught sleeping by a husband. It's amazing she gets away with so few death threats."

"Well, one would have to think twice about threatening her. She is quite formidable" and damn sexy with those muscles and scars.

"So how was Azula's visit?"

"It was nice to see a familiar face. We went out trying new restaurants, shopping, that sort of thing. She encouraged me to stick with the job a little longer, but I realized I'd just be miserable again once she left, so I quit. I wanted to visit my brother; She wanted to visit Ty Lee, so we decided to go to Kyoshi Island on the way home."

"They must have loved that," Mai said dryly.

"Other than Aang, everything was fine."

Mai had forgotten he went to Kyoshi Island at the same time. "What happened?"

Katara took a breath. "Well, they argued a lot. Aang kept nosing around in my personal life and Azula said, at the dinner table I might add, 'Anyone here can tell you she doesn't want you.'" Katara decided not to mention the kisses or his attempts to get her to leave with him instead.

"So they argued over you."

"Yeah, they did."

"I'm going to cut to the chase. Are you two involved?"

"Why do you ask that?"

Mai decided to show her hand first. "Zuko wrote to Iroh when he couldn't find Azula and he suggested that she might have gone to visit you and when he visited, he seemed to think you two were involved or at least had been at our wedding, but Aang was here, so he didn't really say anything else."

How did Iroh figure it out? No one else had. "We're not exclusive," Katara said, "but we've hooked up a few times."

"Including the wedding."

"Yes."

Mai was surprised. Katara was not as she seemed. "Forgive me, but you don't seem to be Azula's type."

"And what type is that?"

"Slutty and stupid."

"I know exactly who she is. She didn't use any lies or alcohol to get under my dress. I know better than to expect a commitment from her."

So she's not deluded. That's a good sign. "What do you expect from her?"

"A good time. Everyone has been pushing me to get married since I turned 16. My father wants me to marry Aang. He wants me to marry him. Every time I see Arnook, he suggests that there are plenty of men in his tribe who would love to have me for a wife. Azula doesn't care about any of that. She just gives me what I want when I want it."

"I never took you for a casual girl, but if you're content, then that's your business. I just don't want Azula trying to take you for a ride."

"She wouldn't and even if she wanted to, she can't. I've seen all her tricks already."

Mai chuckled. "I suppose you have. She managed to convince this noblewoman it was her patriotic duty to bed sleep with her once, keeping up the Crown's morale."

"I know. She still brags about it."

"But she doesn't brag about you."

"No, she doesn't."

"Surprising. She's been talking about how hot you are for some time."

"I know, but if she wants me to keep seeing her, she won't treat me like a slut."

"Good for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're getting what you want, and you actually got Azula to keep her fat mouth shut."

"I suppose I have. Is Zuko going to lecture me on honor or something?"

"No. He'll lecture Azula."

"I'm fine with that."

Aang went into Iroh's teashop, hoping to find him. He was out running errands, so Aang had to wait.

"Aang, nice to see you," Iroh said when he finally returned. "Let's have a cup of ginseng."

They shared a pot of tea and Aang explained why he had come. "I'm worried about Katara."

"Is she sick?"

"She's healthy, but she came to Kyoshi Island while I was there and her behavior was erratic."

"What do you mean?"

"She was drinking a lot and she usually doesn't do shots. Once she was drunk, Azula was all over her on the dance floor, but she didn't mind it." Aang had never seen her like that. "Azula would also kiss her randomly, like when they were sparring. I don't know what's happening."

Iroh hesitated to tell Aang before, but he's seen them with his own eyes and still doesn't get it. "Aang, they are dating."

"They can't be," he insisted. "I saw Azula flirting with another girl, right in front of Katara."

"Maybe they're not exclusive, but they have been seeing each other for some time. You have to let it go."

"How long have they been seeing each other?" Why wouldn't Katara tell the truth?

"At least four months," Iroh told him. That's when Jin had seen them kissing. Iroh suspected it was longer than that, but he couldn't say when they started.

She was with Azula only a few months after they broke up? "She must be rebounding or depressed."

"You don't know that."

Yes I do. "She'd never get with a girl like Azula otherwise."

It was futile. Iroh couldn't get the boy to see that Katara was a stronger girl than he gave her credit for. She could casually date Azula without being manipulated or forced into it.

Next, Aang tried Toph.

She had not seen him in months. Toph was now dating the Duke. They confessed their feelings for each other at the wedding after she had her crying fit and the last three and a half months have been good to her.

"Twinkle Toes, what brings you here?"

"Hey Toph. How's it going?"

"It's the same, dealing with wimpy military recruits. Toph was a general now." They did mostly peacekeeping missions and disaster relief, a couple skirmishes with the colonies but nothing major.

"I'm sure they won't be wimps by the time you're done with them."

"If they're breathing. So why did you come here?"

"Can't I see a friend?"

"Of course you can, but why Ba Sing Se. You haven't been here in months."

"I thought it was time to visit some old friends."

"Bullhockey. I know when you're lying."

"I did! I need some advice."

"Well, I need a beer before I have to deal with your rambling, so let's go. You're buying."

They get to the bar and once they each have a pint, Aang starts to explain. "I don't know what's going on with Katara, but she's making a big mistake."

Of course he's hung up on Sugar Queen. "What? She has a boyfriend so you're jealous."

"No and no!" She doesn't have a boyfriend. "She's hanging around Azula."

"So what's the problem?"

"Do you know what Azula does? She gets girls drunk so she can take them into a dirty alley, fool around with them and then brag about it to everyone else. It's disgusting."

"Where does Katara fit in this?"

"She's been drinking with her and Azula keeps kissing her. It's like she's trying to make Katara into one of her bimbos."

"Sugar Queen is stubborn. She wouldn't hang around Azula unless she wanted too and if she's kissing her, maybe they're a couple."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Why not?"

"For one, two girls can't have sex."

Toph looked at him. "Have you ever been to Kyoshi Island? That's what half the warriors do with each other and wasn't Kyoshi a lesbian?"

Aang had no idea. It was an embarrassing thought if she was.

"But Katara is not a lesbian. She likes boys."

"Did she tell you that?"

She dated me. Why would she date me if she was a lesbian? "She dated me for two years."

"Maybe you turned her."

"That's not funny."

"You have to let her go. She does not want you back."

"That's not what this is about."

"Then why do you care who she kisses or drinks with? Sugar Queen can take care of herself? If she wants to fool around with Azula that's her business."

"Katara's a good girl. She doesn't fool around that easily, not with someone like Azula."

"Good girls can like sex too."

Aang's head started to split open when he realized they could be having sex. "She wouldn't do that. She's waiting for marriage. She told me."

"Maybe it is just heavy petting then or it is not real sex since they're girls," Toph said dryly. "Anyway, she dumped you, and it is time you got over it. It's been over six months. You've had other girlfriends. (How Toph had no idea?) Why are you so obsessed with her? She's pretty, but she was never much of a girlfriend to you. She was more like your mother."

"She was not my mother."

"Yeah, she wouldn't let you suck on her tits."

That comment pissed him off. "I don't believe this."

"What? That I don't want to hear you belly aching over your ex who dumped you ages ago. You always have to talk about her, like there's nothing else in the world. Sorry I'm not as hung up on her as you are." Toph left in a huff.

Aang decided to hang around Ba Sing Se for another day before going back to the Northern Air Temple. He had been living there, since it was populated already. He needed some time to meditate and figure this all out. How did Azula get to Katara and why did no one else think this was a problem?


	5. Chapter 4

Honor and Cherish

Zuko of course wanted to have a word with Azula about Katara's virtue. "I must say I was surprised to see you two together."

"Really, after Iroh told you we were together."

"I guess I didn't believe it."

"Can't say I blame you. It was a sudden affair."

"What are your intentions with her?"

"To get her to scream my name."

Zuko frowned. "I'm not joking."

"Neither was I. I was being a bit impish with my response, but Katara wants something that she could not get with her other suitors."

"This is just about sex?"

"This is about freedom. Every guy who comes her way wants to marry her, make her stay at home and raise his babies. I am not asking her for any of that. She comes to me when she wants to play, and that's it. She can date other people if she wants, so I can I, and if she wants out, she just has to say the word."

"There's nothing wrong with marriage."

"I beg to differ, but that is not the problem. The problem is that marriage isn't what she wants, and the men in her life refuse to respect that. You are worried about her honor. That is why you called me in here, but I am honoring her wishes, which she couldn't get from Aang or anyone else. She's not a bimbo or a cheap thrill. She's my friend too."

Zuko was surprised. Azula seemed defensive about a relationship she admits is casual. "How did you get together?"

* * *

**The Proposal**

Katara had been sleeping when she heard knocking on her door.

"It's open!"

Azula came inside and shut the door behind her. "I have a question for you, but before you say no, give me a chance to explain myself."

"Okay, what is it?"

Azula took out a jewelry box from her pocket. Katara opened it to see a ruby betrothal necklace with a fire nation insignia on the back. She got down on her knee. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, will you marry me?"

Katara jumped out of bed, wearing only her nightgown. What in Tui's name? "Have you lost your mind?"

"You said I could explain."

"I did. Go on."

"This will solve all of your problems. If we got married, Arnook's plan to make you the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe would fail. He would never make me Chief of his tribe. Hakoda won't be able to coerce you into marrying Aang. You will be a Princess. You will be entitled to royal guards and an allowance as well as life in the palace.

I would not make you do anything you didn't want to. You can live here or anywhere you want, and I won't make you have heirs or stay at home. You would have your freedom. The only thing you can't do is conspire against the crown or else it would be treason. If in some weird scenario, we were at war with your tribe, you would have free passage to go home if you wanted it, but we would then be divorced."

Katara was flabbergasted. The biggest womanizer she knew, the woman who was so anti-marriage that she tried to talk her own brother out of proposing and one of her best friends out of saying yes, was offering to marry her, just because she came to her crying two days before about how Arnook was trying to marry her off to get a new tribe leader and her father might just try to get her to marry Aang as her way out when she didn't want that either.

"You can't be serious. You would give up your freedom for me."

"I'm hardly giving up anything. We don't need to promise each other fidelity. We don't even need to promise that we'll stay together. You're welcome in the palace whenever you like, but I would never make you stay with me. I just ask that you be happy."

"What if we want to be with other people, permanently?"

"If you want to marry another, we can just divorce. You can keep your citizenship here if you need it to fend off Arnook's craziness. I know I'll never marry for love. I would only marry you and that's because you're my friend. You saved my life when I had done nothing to deserve your help. Let me help you now."

This was not happening. She was offering to marry her to save her from marriage. "You would do this for me?"

"I wouldn't be kneeling here if I wouldn't."

"How would we even do this?"

"We can go to Omashu. I think that's a good city because we won't have to tell anyone before we are ready. Zuko would find out in a heartbeat if we got married here, and the sages might even try to stop us if they think he would object. We can elope there, have a honeymoon in the Earth Kingdom and come back with no one being the wiser. If we take an afternoon sky ship, we can be there by tomorrow and have time to get some rings and an officiator, tie the knot, have a nice dinner, maybe a play if we can get good seats and that's it."

"You really thought this through."

"It took me some time to make this necklace, so I came up with a plan while I was working around the clock."

"That's why I didn't see you around."

"Yep. I hope you didn't think I was ignoring you."

"I figured you got drunk and passed out after too many bimbos."

"Haha, I have not made such an amateurish move … in months. So what do you say?"

Katara couldn't leave the girl hanging. If they were going to do this, they had to do it now before anyone could find out what they were planning. Seriously though, getting married and hiding it, so it can be a political trump card, Azula is a mastermind, but this is so out of the box it was insane.

"Promise me one thing, if this gets to be too much for you or you want out, don't think you have to promise me forever."

"Only if you promise me that you are true to yourself when you live your life. Live for yourself instead of the expectations of others."

"I promise, and yes." They sealed the deal with a chaste kiss.

Katara found a white sundress she could wear.

"I bet your boobs look great in that dress."

"You're such a cow pig."

"Does that make you Mrs. Cow Pig?"

They packed their bags right away. Katara told everyone she was going to visit her family. She had avoided them since she knew her father would try to push her back into Aang's arms. Azula just said she was going to the beach house to pick up chicks and she'd be back when she felt like it.

No one knew that they went together to Omashu and they got married.

They drank a good amount on the ship before it was nighttime. Not enough to be hammered, but enough to feel a good buzz for a while. The next morning, they started with mimosas and managed to keep the buzz going all the way to the ring shop.

"Do we need wedding rings?"

"Of course we do. I won't be the cheap Princess who didn't even buy her bride a ring."

Katara thought she was spending too much, but she held her tongue.

"Do you Azula promise to love honor and cherish Katara, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Katara, promise to love, honor and obey Azula, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" Even though they were both women, Azula was deemed the groom and Katara was expected to obey her. Azula was about to yell at the officiator when Katara quickly said I do to maintain the peace. Who cares what this oaf said? He couldn't tell them how to be married.

"I now pronounce you … married." I guess he couldn't say man and wife.

Azula cupped her face and gently kissed her. Katara was not expecting such sweetness. Her mouth tasted of cherries and champagne and her lips were so soft and gentle, unlike the rough make out sessions she had unfortunately seen Azula have at the bar.

They walked down the isle hand in hand and decided to go to dinner.

"Should I change first?"

"Nah, if we look like we just got married, we can get free stuff from the restaurant."

Azula came in first and opened the door for her bride. She wore her military formals, adorned in red and gold, looking unreasonably sexy. Azula knew that girls loved military garb, but she had no idea that it turned her wife on so much.

"You look so hot right now."

"So do you, Princess," Azula said with a sly smile. Katara was her Princess, and no one would be the wiser.

They shared a porterhouse for two with a truffled potatoes and moon peach ice cream for dessert. Azula ordered the finest wine on the menu. When the waiter asked if they had just been wed, the Princess said yes and they were given a free slice of chocolate hazelnut cake, a huge slice, and a round of dessert wine on the house.

Azula tipped him generously and they went for a stroll though the town, listening to live music and watching the moonflowers bloom before they retired for the night.

Azula carried her across the marital threshold and after some assurances from her bride, Azula made love to her slowly, tenderly and for hours until she was exhausted. They fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

**Present**

She couldn't tell Zuko any of this. Instead she said, "Katara came to me and she was upset because her family was trying to push her to get back with Aang and some oafs from the North thought if she was single, they could just start courting her. She wanted someone who would listen to her, who wouldn't want to make her choose which husband in a pre-arranged life.

Knowing I would never support their intentions, she came to me. I suppose I was a stress reliever at first. I wasn't sure if she would come back for more after the first time, but she did come back and the next thing I knew, it was a semi-regular thing. If she wants to talk, I listen, but sometimes, she just wants to get down to business as it were."

Zuko was stunned. This hardly seemed like what Katara would do, but maybe he had Katara all wrong. Everyone was pushing her to marry and he had assumed she wanted a marriage, she just hadn't found the right boy. What if she wasn't ready at all? What if she wasn't sure if she liked boys? "You said she's not like the others. I'll take you at your word, but if you try to treat her like a tramp …"

"You think she'll let me get away with that."

"No, she's more of a threat to you than I am," he admitted.

"Oh I know."

The dinner was a pleasant one. It was much less awkward that everyone at the table knew that Azula and Katara were something and that they weren't going to badger them about it.

"So what happened in Gaoling to make you want to leave?"

"I just hated the job," Katara said. "I thought teaching waterbending would be great, but I just had lazy children, wealthy stay at home mothers that had nothing better to do than show up to my lessons and complain their kid wasn't getting enough attention, and I didn't know anyone in Gaoling. I didn't have anyone to go out with or anything to do until Azula came to visit."

"Maybe you should try individualized instruction next time, only agree to teach kids that are actually interested. Some benders don't get their inspiration until their older and some never at all."

"Maybe. I just want to focus on my own bending right now. I got so tired from teaching, I hardly did anything myself."

"You did a great job with my scar. I can barely see it now."

"What scar?" Mai turned to her.

"Oh I got gashed by a robber on Kyoshi Island. Last time I do rounds with Ty Lee."

Azula explained how they interrupted the robbery and took down the assailants.

Zuko looked at his sister. It sounded too honorable for you. "You aren't becoming a softie are you? Rescuing old ladies, what will society think?"

"That I am even more awesome. There's no rule against rescuing people in the players' handbook. If anything, it's a story that will get me laid repeatedly and I have a sexy scar to show off."

"Really. You're going to talk like that in front of her." I know it's casual but still.

"What? You assume I didn't mean with her?"

Katara shook her head.

"Well, you have yourself a prize," Mai told Katara dryly.

"Oh hush, you know you love Zuko's scars. Scars get babes, period."

"I think both of them are badges of honor."

"Well, I got one too, but it's hard to see unless I take off my shirt, not that I don't do that often anyway."

The two couples went upstairs. Azula brought Katara to her room. "I don't have to sneak into your room anymore, but I like sneaking in. I might do it sometimes anyway."

"You know your brother gets upset when you talk about bimbos in front of me."

"He gets upset because I'm a true player, and he's surrendered to the marriage death trap. Plus, you know I won't do anything while you're here."

"Not even at the cottage?" She can if she wants.

"Please, I usually use that cottage to draw when I don't want to be distracted. Yes, I was sleeping around a lot before, but after we got married, it's been mostly talk, so no one noticed a sudden change. I can't say I haven't been with any other women, but most of the time, I drink, dance and go home alone."

"You don't have to do that for me."

"I did it for me. I didn't think I would be able to find anyone when I got out of the asylum. It's not like a lot of women are lesbians and if they are, they aren't out, not to mention I had a reputation for being homicidal and crazy. I was baffled when women kept coming my way and then I realized, they liked the bad girl image, the one and done rules, the drinking and the hookups in the bathroom.

I'm a warrior, a conqueror, a fighter, and when I had no war to fight in, I was lost. I went to conquering women instead because it was like a validation for me that I still had it, that I wasn't a relic that had been broken on Sozin's Comet. I don't need their validation anymore. I feel complete without it.

When I said I wasn't going to hold you to anything, I meant it. You are free to date, and I am too, but I don't want any more nameless sex. Other than some kisses to get you jealous, because you're wicked hot when you have that predatory gleam in your eyes, I'm done with bimbos."

Azula knew her past conduct was dishonorable. She didn't care. Honor sounded like a copout, a way of putting in archaic rules that cut against what people want to do. What's wrong with pleasure and desire? Why aren't they just as important as honor? Azula refused to succumb to it, refuse to respond to it, but now, she felt a desire to have some honor. She wouldn't just sleep with random sluts. Katara deserved better than that in a wife, even if this was a wife for political convenience. Azula said she would cherish her. How could she cherish her while fooling around with girls that smell like cheap vodka and opiates?

Katara was taken aback by how open Azula was being and how much she had changed. She knew that Azula's sleeping around was connected to her low self-esteem upon leaving the asylum, but she didn't realize how much her orientation played into that. Most lesbians wouldn't come out. They didn't want the shame or the stigma. Azula felt like she had to flaunt it. She had to wear it as a badge of honor, so she wouldn't fall into a pit of self-loathing.

Katara had no words. She just pulled Azula into a searing kiss. They would be having sex for quite a while tonight.

* * *

**Three Months Later**

Zuko was putting on a ball for the world's royals, nobles, and "celebrities" to celebrate Two Hearts Day. The party alternated between being in the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation as no one was going to the Water Tribes while it was still winter.

He told Azula to be on her best behavior this year. Last year, she had got it on with General Fong's daughter in the throne room. She wasn't caught in the act, but the General found his daughter a disheveled mess and saw the smirk on Azula's face. Zuko was afraid he would start a war over it.

"Yes Zuzu, I will not get it on with any bimbos at this stupid party."

"Good. Do you have a dress?"

"Like I would wear a dress. I'm wearing my military formals."

"Of course you are."

"Don't be jealous that I look hot in mine and you just look like you."

"As long as you don't wear any armor."

"I might need it if General Fong comes this year, high-five."

Zuko refused to give her one for that.

Azula went to Katara's room. "Have you decided on a dress yet?"

"No, I'm still wondering what to wear?"

"You could where your white dress. I'm wearing my formals, and we'll look just as we did when we married, and I can imagine all of the things we did when I got you out of that dress."

"It's kind of ironic if I wear it. It looks virginal."

"You do not look virginal in that dress. You look like a total MILF."

"That word is never going to catch on."

"Oh yeah it will."

"Are you nervous?"

"What about General Fong? He's all hot air."

"I meant about this being our first date in society." They knew Katara would have suitors all night, so Azula was going to be her date to scare them away.

"No, are you?"

"A little."

"Well, just squeeze my hand if something's bothering you and I'll handle it, discreetly."

"Thank you."

Azula kissed her. She never thought she'd be married, to Katara of all people, but it worked. Now it was time to face her father and all of the goliaths.

Aang wondered if Katara had a date to the ball. He decided to go stag, so he wouldn't have a Toph 2.0 moment. He apologized to Toph for not being a more considerate friend, and she gave him another chance, "but if you go on about Sugar Queen all night, I will bury you in the ground."

She was going with the Duke.

When they all got to the Palace, the ball wasn't starting for another two hours, giving them plenty of time to get cleaned up and changed. The palace was a full house. Sokka and the Kyoshi Warriors were staying there as well as Iroh and Jun.

Zuko was greeting everyone as they arrived as Mai was fussing with the decorator, the caterer, everyone effectively. Azula was helping get everything ready; well, she was making snide remarks and commenting as to which parts of the palace would be best for having trysts. Mai told her to piss off.

Azula laughed as she went back to her room.

Two hours later, the ball had begun, Zuko and Mai made their entrance and thanked their guests for coming. Zuko made a boring speech about love and happiness and how it was great to have his family and friends here and let them all come together and celebrate as one people today. Azula whispered dirty things in Katara's ear the whole time.

Katara accidentally laughed out loud once and everyone in earshot looked at her.

There were appetizers and cocktails making their way through the crowd. Azula waived down the waiter to bring her some. "There's a good tip for you tonight if you and your friends keep the drinks coming my way." She slipped him a few coins as a down payment. He nodded and made sure to tell the other servers that the Princess paid for good service.

Aang saw Katara. She looked gorgeous in her white dress. She had gotten a haircut too. It was still long, but it had more of a shape to it. He wanted to approach her and then he saw Azula, in her military garb, come and take her hand. "I want to introduce you to some of my peers from the Royal Academy."

"Friends?"

"No, but you're much prettier than they are. They'll hate you."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

Azula is her date? He frowned.

Hakoda slapped his back. "Aang, how's it going my man?"

"It goes. Has Katara said anything to you about having a date to the ball?"

"No and neither did Sokka. You know I'm in your corner, but she has other suitors from the North tonight. If you want her to choose you, you'll have to make a move."

Hakoda was speaking with Arnook about making Katara the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. It was a good move for him because his bloodline would then run both tribes, but he had a soft spot for Aang and wanted to rule out the possibility of their union before he gave the go ahead.

"I understand." Aang had to move tonight. He brought with him a betrothal necklace he had made while they were still together. He could offer her so much more than the Princess. Sure she was rich and pretty, but she was a tramp. Aang would never cheat on her or get her drunk or use her for sex. Katara had to realize Azula was not a serious option.

Before Aang could try to talk to her, it was dinnertime. Azula got Aang put at a different table from her and Katara. She owed Mai a favor for that one because Zuko would have expected his friends to be sitting with them. Instead, the royal table had Ty Lee and her date Chin, Sokka and Suki, Iroh and Jun, and of course, the royal siblings and their date. As a general, Toph and her date were seated with the other Earth Kingdom Generals. Aang was put with the Northern Air Temple.

"What happened to Aang?" Zuko asked.

"He wanted to sit with his constituents. He thinks he needs to spend more time with them since he travels so much." Mai had her lie rehearsed. She looked at Azula. _You owe me._

Azula started to play with Katara's leg under the table. She didn't look down. She was used to Azula's inappropriate touches. Katara wasn't wearing underwear.

"Good girl," Azula whispered in her ear.

The food and drinks came liberally. Katara did not eat it all, as she did not want to be overly full. She wanted some energy for tonight. Sokka cleaned her plate for her, consistently.

"Are you not hungry?"

"I'm not eating for two," she told him.

"What?"

"Are you pregnant Sokka?" Azula teased.

Everyone laughed at him.

"Haha!"

After the meal, the dance floor was opened. At these events, it was often the young couples dancing, the politicians making deals, and the parents looking to pair off their single children.

There were three suitors from the Northern Water Tribe who had come to try and seek Katara's favor. One of them was Hahn who saw a new chance to become Chief. He looked at her and smiled. She was way hot now. Arnook went to introduce him to her. He was surprised when Azula stayed at Katara's side.

"I think Hahn wanted to get to know her better," he said to Azula, telling her to piss off.

"She is my date. If he would like to get to know her, he can do so in my presence. If that is unacceptable to him, he can leave."

"But she's a girl," Hahn said with a laugh, as if he wasn't even talking to the Princess

"Yet I have a beautiful date, and you have none. What does that say about your manhood or lack their of?"

Before he could respond, Azula asked Katara if she wanted to dance.

"Gladly." She never liked Hahn. What a jerk! He just wanted to be Chief. She'd never agree to marry him.

Azula lead beautifully, moving in perfect time as she spun Katara around the floor. "Everyone is looking at you. You're gorgeous."

"I don't care what they think. I'm just glad I'm away from those men."

"That's just the beginning. Even if I sufficiently scared Hahn, your other suitors will make an appearance."

Kuro and Caster, were also hoping to have a chance to woo Katara, but when they saw Hahn get rejected so easily, they wondered if they stood a chance.

Katara was not the only target of suitors. Some had come for Azula even though her preference was well known. Perhaps she would want some heirs anyway and even if it was a loveless marriage, the man would still be a prince. Chan and Ruan Jion were both sent by their fathers to try and meet her. When Chan saw her, he flipped.

"You're the one who trashed my house."

"Did you just figure that out?"

"My father grounded me for months."

"He should have grounded you for being so dumb that you didn't even recognize your own Crown Princess. Now go away before I have you thrown out."

He marched off. Ruan Jion didn't even try to say anything. There was no way he was making a move on her. His father would have to deal.

Azula saw Aang staring at her wife as they danced. When there was a break in the music, she dipped Katara and kissed her tenderly, catching the attention of all in the room.

"What was that for?" Katara asked softly when they were both vertical again.

"Do I need a reason?"

"No."

"Good."

Aang was livid. She was parading Katara in public like she was a shiny new toy.

Eventually, the amount of booze Azula drank caught up with her. "I need to use the ladies room. I'll be right back."

Once she was alone, Hakoda saw an opening for Aang. "Katara, I've missed you."

"Hi Dad." Katara hugged him.

"You haven't been home in some time."

"I know, but with the job and then quitting I just needed some time to get my head on straight."

"Oh Aang, I didn't see you there. How are you?"

Katara frowned. She knew a set up when she saw one.

"I'm good Sir."

"Sir, you can call me Hakoda now. We're practically family."

Chief Arnook called over Hakoda to speak with him. "I'll be right back."

"How have you been Katara?" Aang asked her.

"I've been good. How have you been?"

"I'm fine. Have you been in the Palace all this time?"

"I have."

"I didn't think you'd end up living here."

"It's not permanent. It just works for me right now."

What do I do? Do I offer the necklace now? No. I need to say more. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said when we broke up, and how we were at different places."

Katara had broken up with him when she found out he had made a betrothal necklace for her. She told him she wasn't ready to make a commitment like that and he went and made the necklace anyway. He just didn't know how to listen to her. Please tell me he gets it now, she silently prayed.

"I didn't know what you meant by that, but now I do."

Thank the spirits!

"I'm happy to hear that."

"There's more. I was ready to propose to you when you broke up with me. I made a necklace and everything, but I wasn't ready for marriage. I just thought I was supposed to be since it had been two years. Since you've been gone these 9 months, I've really missed you and no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to get over you. I wasn't ready then, but I am now and if you aren't ready to get married, I can wait until you are."

"What? I don't want to marry you!"

Aang leaned in and kissed her, not even realizing that she had reacted badly to his heartfelt confession. He wrapped his arms around her and thought this was going well until he felt a cold hand slap his face. She was so upset that she had subconsciously frozen the air around her hand and ice slapped him, leaving a welt the shape of her handprint. "What in Tui's name is wrong with you?" she screamed.

His face burned, that slap hurt. "What did you do that for?"

"I told you I didn't want to be with you and instead of moving on and finding someone else, you lurk around for nine months just to corner me and try to kiss me. I do not want to be with you. I do not want to marry you. Not now and not ever. You can't just grab me and kiss me. I am not yours and if you can't respect my choices and my body then you need to stay away from me!" She ran off crying.

Everyone saw that and was stunned. What the hell did Aang just do?

Didn't she understand? He was going to wait for her to be ready for marriage. He wasn't going to rush it. It sounded so good in his head, but it ended so poorly. Aang realized everyone was staring at him. He went to go to the bathroom and heal his face.

Azula had missed the confrontation. She had come back from the bathroom and Bato was trying to talk to her. When she saw Katara run past, Azula chased her only to be blocked by a guard. Azula had assigned one to her room to keep unwanted suitors away.

"She said she wanted to be left alone Princess."

"Could you please ask her if I can come in? I'm not the person she's running from."

The guard went in to speak to her and then came back. "Go in Princess."

Azula came inside, but before she could ask what happened, Katara pushed her to the bed and kissed her. She had to get Aang's taste out of her mouth. Only Azula's lips would do.

"What happened?" Azula tried to ask between kisses.

"I don't want to talk," Katara told her. "I just want you."

Azula nodded and flipped her wife on her back. "How do you want it?"

"I just want to be in your arms."

This would not be a doggie-style night. Azula didn't care. She just wanted to make whatever made her wife this distraught go away.

Hakoda was stunned. Sokka was too, but once he snapped out of it, he went to go find his sister. Zuko was livid. He went to go confront Aang.


	6. Chapter 5

Aang healed his face and came out of the bathroom, only to be confronted by an angry Fire Lord. "What the hell Aang!" Zuko shoved him into a wall. "How could you do that to her? What did you do to her? What were you thinking?"

Aang explained how Hakoda told him that suitors were coming for Katara and if he wanted his chance, he had to move quickly. He brought his betrothal necklace, but he wasn't sure if she wanted a proposal so he offered for them to get back together and wait until she wanted to be proposed to. When she said she didn't want to marry him, he didn't realize that she meant ever. He thought she meant right now, so he tried to kiss her to restart their relationship and then she slapped him and started screaming.

Zuko was still mad, but he understood. He thought Katara had taken him back. The boy didn't mean to be forceful. He was just stupid. "Did she say she wanted you back?"

"No."

"Has she flirted with you, tried to contact you, pursued you in any way since you broke up?"

"No."

"She doesn't want you Aang. She doesn't love you, not the way you want her to and if you don't give up now, you won't even have a friendship with her."

Aang felt awful, but Zuko was right. She didn't love him. He thought she did, but she didn't. "I need to apologize."

"Not now. Let her sleep it off and apologize tomorrow." Maybe he should do it in writing.

Arnook figured with Aang out of the way, there would be no problem making Katara their Princess. Not tonight, obviously, but they could revisit this during the summer.

Bato felt guilty. Maybe this is why Azula had been guarding Katara all night. "We have to let this go," he told Hakoda.

"Yeah, I know." He thought he had a son-in-law in Aang. How had he been so blind?

The guard wouldn't let Sokka in the room. "I'm sorry, but she said she wanted to be left alone."

"Why are you guarding her door?"

"The Princess asked for me to keep unwanted people away during the party. She knew Katara would have a lot of suitors."

"Where were you when she needed you?"

"There were guards at the party. I'm sorry if they responded too slowly."

Sokka knew it was a lost cause and left. Then he remembered the secret passageways. He found the one that goes to Katara's room, but before he could open it, he heard moaning, loud moaning. She was having sex? Did she have another lover? Is that why she doesn't want Aang anymore?

He couldn't tell who the other person was, but he had an idea. She and the Princess had been quite close over the past few months. She was even Katara's date tonight They must have been carrying on an affair. Why keep it a secret? He went to find Suki.

"Did you find your sister?"

"No, the guard wouldn't let me into her room. She wanted to be left alone."

"We should try to visit her tomorrow."

Zuko went and found Mai.

"You didn't hit Aang too badly did you?"

"No, Katara got him pretty good." He felt like he had failed her. He now knew what Azula meant when she said no one honors Katara's wishes. Aang sure didn't.

"Well, she probably scared off any suitors that came here," Mai said dryly.

"This isn't funny."

"I know, but if I don't make a joke then I might just flip out."

"Then joke away. I already flipped out for both of us."

* * *

The married couple had made love a few times before Katara told Azula what sparked her exit.

"You should have told me. I would have killed him."

"I know, which is why I didn't tell you. You would have defended me and at what cost, sparking an international disaster? What he did was wrong, but I couldn't let you retaliate."

"It's my job to defend your honor."

"And you did. You respected my wishes when no one else would, and you warned me that he might be capable of something like this. In the back of my mind, I knew you were right, but I refused to believe it."

"I never should have left you alone. I didn't want to, but Bato started rambling to me and the next thing I knew, I saw you running past me."

"What? Why would Bato talk to you?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know him."

"But he knew you."

"Apparently, but who doesn't."

Katara was livid. "I'm going to kill him."

"For talking to me"

"No for distracting you, so Aang could make his move. It was a set up. I knew my dad was in on it, but Bato too?"

Azula went to get dressed.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to give your father and Bato a thumping."

"You can't."

"Fine, I'll tell Zuko what they did, and he can deal with them."

"No, he'll try to beat them up too. Who knows what he did to Aang?"

"So he can beat up Aang, but I can't."

"Zuko isn't as powerful as you are. You would destroy Aang."

"Damn right I would. How dare he try to force himself on you? If I see him in this palace again I swear to Agni, I'm going to make him wish he had stayed in that block of ice."

Azula was enraged. Katara wrapped her arms around her. "I need you. Stay the night."

"I will."

* * *

**The Morning After**

At sunrise, Azula kissed Katara on the forehead and said she was going to talk to her brother. She found him on his way to train outside. He was surprised to see her.

"I figured you would be with Katara right now." He went to talk to her, but the guard said that the Princess was in there. He left at that, glad that at least she wasn't alone

"She's still sleeping."

"I take it you weren't there when it happened."

"If I had been, I would have killed Aang."

"I know. I might have roughed him up a bit."

"I wish it was only him, but that night was screwed up for so many reasons." Azula explained how Hakoda had set them up and had Bato keeping Azula distracted so that Aang could make his move. "When I found that out, I was ready to take out both of them."

"What they did was wrong, but they couldn't have known that Aang would try to force Katara to kiss them."

Yes they could have. If they had been thinking, they would have realized his obsession with her was unhealthy, and she did not want him. "It doesn't matter. I was Katara's date to prevent exactly what happened, and they left her vulnerable because they had absolutely no respect for her. How could she have made it any clearer that she did not want Aang? She dumped him. She moved away from him. She refused his advances and his pitiful attempts at flirtation.

I didn't leave her side because she didn't feel comfortable being left alone with Aang and the first chance they got, they duped her into being alone with him and blocked me from coming to her defense. They might not have known that she was going to be kissed against her will, but if they had treated her like a person and not a trophy that they could just give away to the Avatar, it never would have happened. What if he wanted more than just a kiss and she

couldn't have gotten away from him?" Azula shivered at the thought. If he tried even the tiniest thing with her in Azula's presence, she would not hesitate to make him a falsetto.

Zuko knew last night was bad, but somehow he hadn't realized how bad until just now. He was mad that Aang had made Katara cry and run off like that. He didn't think about how scared she was when Aang grabbed her. He was bigger and stronger, and she could clearly fight back, but what if Aang hadn't stopped. If they had kept fighting, she would have been in trouble. He could hardly picture his friend being a rapist, but he had the unsettling realization that Aang's behavior had been heading in that direction and to make it even worse, Katara's father and family friend enabled him. "I get it," he said weakly.

This is why Katara dated Azula. This is what his sister meant when she said people don't listen to Katara, they don't honor her wishes. Her father must of known she was unhappy with Aang, but he just kept pushing them together. He realized he had failed Katara too. He knew she was unhappy when they were together, but he would try to help Aang out, give him advice to keep her there, encourage her to work on it a little more.

He should have supported her decision, whatever it was. Even when he had come to the realization, they weren't getting back together, he still didn't tell Aang to get over it. He just silently cringed as Aang obsessed over her. He should have spoken up. Surely, Azula told him to get lost, but he wouldn't listen to her. He would have listened to his friends and none of them said anything.

* * *

This is what he said (minus the Azula factor) when he had breakfast with Suki and Toph.

"Speak for yourself, I told him to let her go, but he just wouldn't listen." Toph was disappointed. He had promised her he wouldn't make another scene over Katara and he went and made a worse one than the time before. Katara had never confided in Toph about the relationship, but even she knew Katara was unhappy.

"I hope he gets it now," Mai growled as she sat down, knowing what the conversation was.

"Where's the Princess?" Toph asked.

Mai said, "she's probably hearing about the obnoxiously loud sex Ty Lee had last night." Mai had thought her friend was being attacked and ran into the room with her knife just to see Ty Lee and Chin in a position, Mai had never even contemplated before. Apparently, Ty Lee can have sex with her legs behind her head.

"At least someone had a good night," Toph grumbled.

Sokka went to try to talk to his sister again. When he got there, Azula was bringing her breakfast in bed. "Can you get the door?" she said to him. He opened it to see Azula bringing her food. "You're brother's here, and I brought you something to eat, so you wouldn't get bombarded with questions by everyone."

"Thank you."

Azula kissed her forehead, not caring what Sokka knew at this point. If he was part of the set up, she would beat him at first convenience. "Do you want me to stay?"

"I can handle it, but can you come back in about an hour?"

"Of course."

Sokka went to see his sister. "Are you okay?" He shut the door.

"Physically, I'm fine, but I'm feeling a lot of things right now." (Hurt, anger, fear, comfort.)

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Katara didn't but he was worried about her so she should. "What did you see exactly?"

"I heard the slap. It was loud and then I heard you scream at him and then you ran off, and I froze. By the time I got to your room, your guard said you weren't taking visitors."

She explained how Hakoda and Bato tried to help Aang win her back and how he made this long speech about their relationship and then he grabbed her and kissed her even though she said she didn't want to marry him. She freaked out and slapped him, and he seemed angry for it, like he had no idea what he had done wrong. She let him have it and stormed off.

"Mainly, I'm just tired. I don't want to be with him. I wasn't happy in our relationship after the first year. I kept leaving him. He kept begging for another chance. Dad kept encouraging him, enabling him, and guilt tripping me. I managed to steer clear of him for 10 months for the most part and now he pulls this. I'm not his possession. I know what I want, and it's not Aang."

"I know this is off-topic, but are you with Azula now?"

"It's complicated, but we're dating."

"Since when?"

"We've been involved since May."

Sokka's eyes bugged out. "Since May, and I'm just hearing this NOW!"

"We knew how everyone would react, so we didn't tell anyone."

"But when you came to visit, she was with another girl right in front of you."

"That was just a cover. Nothing happened in the alley. She knew she couldn't stop sleeping around without people asking questions, so she made up some gossip."

Sokka couldn't believe it. Nine months. "Why Azula?"

"She doesn't make me try to be something I'm not. Everyone wants me to marry a guy that they have in mind, settle down, have kids. I'm 17 years old. I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet, but no one wanted to listen. Aang didn't. Dad didn't Arnook doesn't. Azula doesn't ask for that. She wants me to live my life how I want. Sometimes, she's the only one who listens."

Sokka felt bad. "I should have been more supportive. I didn't realize how much pressure everyone was putting on you."

"That's because you don't feel the pressure. No one is on your case about marriage and somehow, Suki has escaped her father's inquiring eye."

Should Sokka tell her about Arnook? Maybe not this second. "Well, if you have anymore suitor issues, don't hesitate to tell me. I'm not going to let you get forced into a marriage you don't want."

"Thanks Sokka."

* * *

Sokka went to find his girlfriend. "Breakfast, yum!" He had a plate brought to him and sat down as his friends were talking about the night before.

"I knew I should have buried him in the ground," Toph grumbled. "I told him I would if he made a scene and he managed to make a bigger fiasco than last time."

"What is it with us and big parties?" Zuko grumbled. "There's always something."

"I thought if my ball got ruined, it would be because Azula nailed someone's daughter," Mai added.

"She said she wouldn't," Zuko said.

"She always says that."

"But she didn't leave Katara's side."

"She did before the chaos broke out."

"That wasn't her fault," Zuko explained how Katara had been set up.

"Her dad's an asshole, no offense Sokka." Mai retorted.

Sokka shook his head; it was not Hakoda's finest moment.

Azula was in her room, hearing about Ty Lee's sexcapade the night before.

"You would think Mai knows that your pleasure scream sounds like bloody murder by now."

"She does, but that doesn't help if I'm actually being murdered."

"Fair enough."

"So did you want to talk about last night?"

"What do I say? That Aang's a jerk who has no respect for Katara's boundaries, that her father's a bigger jerk for setting up the whole scenario, that Bato is guilty by association or that Katara should have let me pummel them into the ground but instead we made love repeatedly, and I held her as she struggled to sleep."

It was so obvious. Azula was head over heels in love.

After Azula raged for a few more minutes, she got quiet and said.

"I was supposed to make sure this didn't happen. I was supposed to protect her, and I wasn't there."

"It wasn't your fault. Their whole scheme was to make sure you weren't there."

"Next time, she's having a guard at the party and not just at her room."

"You had a guard at her room?"

"I knew he'd do something like this." Azula relayed her earlier conversation with Katara about Aang's issues. "She didn't want to talk about it. I didn't make her, but I knew it."

"Do you want to see her now?"

"I do."

Azula went to find her wife. She was about to reach her room when she heard arguing. Hakoda and Aang were feuding.

Aang wanted to apologize and tell Katara he wouldn't bother her anymore. Hakoda told him to stay away.

"Just write her a letter." Hakoda didn't want his own involvement revealed, which would likely happen in Aang confessed in person.

"After what I did. She deserves more than a letter and me running away like I always do. I messed up and I'm going to face the consequences."

For the first time, she didn't want to just slap him in the face. She moved towards the door and Hakoda blocked her. "Where are you going?"

"To console my friend. Stay out of my way."

"Just what are your intentions with my daughter?"

"They're more honorable than yours. I'd never try to coerce her into marrying someone she didn't love."

"I didn't…."

"Save it. You and I both know that you set her up and had Bato distract me so Aang could make his move. Do you know why she asked me to be her date? It was because she didn't want to get back together with him and she knew that he would ask and that you would encourage him. She also knew that some suitors from the North would be there, and she didn't want them either.

Think about how much you hate me and what a terrible person you think I am."

That was an unusual request but not hard for him to do.

"Now realize that despite all of that, your daughter went on a date with me because it was easier for her to do that than to try and get you to respect her wishes. If you cared about your daughter's happiness at all, you would have stopped pushing this failed relationship. You knew she wasn't happy, but you ignored her and tried to get her to marry Aang at every turn. Why do you think she hasn't come home since the break up? She didn't want you to badger her anymore."

Hakoda was furious, "now wait one minute. You have no right."

"I have every right. This is my palace and this is my country. If you don't want to hear it, you can leave like a coward. Aang is here to face the music. You need to face it too."

He stopped talking.

"Things started off fine for them. They liked each other. The war was over. Everyone was celebrating. There were marriages and babies coming left and right, but as time went on, she realized Aang wasn't right for her.

They didn't fit. He had a set plan, which was based on his responsibilities as an Avatar and his own personal needs. He wanted to get married. He wanted a family. He needs to bring back the airbenders, but instead of looking for a woman whose plan's fit his own, he found a girl he liked and convinced himself that she was the right woman for the job. She doesn't want it. She never did. I'm not saying she won't marry and have a family eventually, but she was not ready for the commitment that he wanted. She wanted to teach and travel and meet other people. She wanted options and after having to grow up so young, she deserved them.

Your daughter is a smart, strong and an independent woman. She has her own ideas on how to live her life but you didn't want to listen to her. She's stubborn, which I imagine she inherited from you, and she's bossy and sometimes she gets angry and spiteful. Aang can't handle that about her. This isn't about his character. It's about chemistry.

He's docile and likes to go with the flow and when Katara didn't want to go with him, he just grabbed her along and took her anyway. She needs someone who can fight back, someone she can bicker with, someone who will push her to follow her dreams instead of trying to change her dreams to match his own. Aang couldn't do that for her since he had a set path. He's the last airbender. There are just some things that he can't change.

When she first broke up with him, she knew all of this. It wasn't just a bad day or a rash decision. She loved him as a friend, but could not offer him anymore, but that wasn't enough or him or you. He cried to all of their friends about how much he loved her. When she looked to them for support, they just encouraged her to get back with him. You pushed her to marry him. Without anywhere to turn, she took him back and this happened over and over again.

You should have been there to support her, to help her figure out the next step, not to coerce her to go onto your agenda. Do you remember last year's Two Hearts Day Ball?

"What about it?" Hakoda finally answered.

"Your daughter was so unhappy with Aang by that point that she agreed to babysit me instead of spending the night with him."

**Last Year's Two Hearts Day Ball**

Azula was in a black dress, one that showed a hint of cleavage and a lot of leg. She wanted to wear her military formals, but Zuko thought that was ill-advised since she was in Kuei's palace, the very one where she had arrested him and taken his country.

Not wanting to spark an international incident, she didn't argue with him. She was disgruntled by the small supply of alcohol. Kuei must have been cheap this year. She hoarded her own whiskey in a flask and drank what she could from the party.

Across the room, she saw a cute girl, young, maybe 15, green eyes, short brown hair, nice chest, a little disproportionate, but who's going to mind more on top. She made eyes at her, but did not approach right away. Instead she waited for the girl to leave her father's side and approached her when she was alone at the snack table.

She "accidentally" grazed her arm. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were so close."

"I like your dress," she said to the Princess.

"I like your eyes."

"How are you liking the party?"

"Well, it's a little dry, but I expected as much."

"Admit it. This sucks. At least Zuko doesn't skimp on the liquor."

"Do you know the Fire Lord personally?"

"I do. We've known each other for quite some time." Yes, she doesn't recognize me. That will make this even easier.

"How did you know him so well?"

"Well, we practically grew up in diapers together."

General Fong saw Azula with his daughter and was not happy. "Ming, come here Honey."

"Sorry, I have to go."

"What were you doing with her?"

"We were just chatting. She knows the Fire Lord."

"Of course, she does. That's his crazy sister."

"She's the Princess?" She's prettier than Ming had thought, and she has a nice body.

"Yes, and don't talk to her."

"But…"

"No buts!"

Later, Azula offered her a drink.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you."

"Because I'm a bad girl?"

"He didn't say that."

"But he meant it. It's true. I am a bad girl."

"Why do you say that?"

"I do bad things, like getting really drunk and partying instead of working. I shot the Avatar once, and my own brother."

"You say that like it was easy."

"It was. Throwing lightning is easy for me. I've been doing it since I was twelve."

"So I should stay away from you?"

"It depends. Do you always do what your Daddy says?"

A few more cheesy lines, and the girl was a goner. Azula got her to sneak into the throne room with her and the Princess bought a bottle of wine from a server before it made its way out.

A few drinks later and Azula had her way with the General's daughter. She wasn't the first person Ming every messed with, but she was the first to get under her dress in less than two hours. She touched her in places that even her doctor didn't probe.

Once Ming was well, a mess, Azula freshened up and went right back to the party.

When the General didn't see Ming, he went looking for her. When he found her in the throne room, she was disoriented from the events, slightly drunk and not quite sure what she was thinking. It was like Azula had destroyed all of her inhibitions with a glance and a smile.

He went outside to look for the culprit and when Azula saw him she smirked at him, showing that she took Ming and she didn't care.

He charged at her, scaring the guards, but before they could get to him, Zuko intervened.

"What are you trying to do here?"

"Your sister is a psychopath."

"I know she's not perfect, but what could she have done? She's just talking to Ty Lee."

"She got my daughter drunk and ravished her like a concubine!" He was so upset that he didn't realize he had broadcasted this to the world, making Azula become infamous for her sexcapades when she had only been notorious before.

"I have no idea what he's talking about," Azula lied and then she smirked again.

Zuko put her on time out for the rest of the party. Katara approached him, "I can sit with her if like."

"I don't need you to waste your night."

"I don't mind and knowing her, she might try to lure a servant into time out with her."

"You have a point."

Katara went into the room where Azula was sitting with her flask.

"Did Zuzu send you to make sure I don't leave?"

"I volunteered, and I'm supposed to make sure you don't sneak any girls in here."

"Hah! I bet I could. I'm a true player." Azula turned to her. "Why did you volunteer? Sick of Aang already."

Katara's face fell.

"I was just teasing. Did he do something wrong at the party?"

"Yes! No! I don't know."

"Calm down. Have a sip of the fire whiskey and tell me all about it?"

**Present**

"Her exact words were, 'my problem is Aang. I don't want him to kiss me. I don't want him to touch me or dance with me, and it has gotten to the point where seeing him approach me makes me angry.'"

Aang's heart fell. "She hates me."

"She doesn't hate you. That's the problem. If she hated you, she could have just told you to go back to your block of ice and leave her alone, but she does care about you, which is why she didn't tell you off sooner. You two have had a lot of good times together, and you don't need to let some bad times ruin the memories, but you have to let her go. Not just say you will, but then ask her out three months later or six or next year.

There are so many girls out there who would love to marry you, but you can't just compare them all to Katara and say that they aren't enough. There is no other Katara. You have to find someone new to love. Start with something simple, like a favorite activity or a hobby, and then let it come naturally."

Just then Katara came out of her room. She heard every word Azula said, and it sounded like she was saying it better, so she let her wife speak for her.

Aang started to ramble. "I'm really sorry, about last night and about everything. I kept trying so hard to make it work that I wasn't listening to you. I knew you weren't happy, but I thought I could change to make you happy, but I can't become someone else, and it wasn't fair for me to try to get you to be someone you're not."

Katara offered him a weak smile. "I forgive you Aang, and you'll find a girl out there, but sometimes it happens when you are least expecting it. You just have live your life and find what makes you happy. The right girl will be there."

She offered him a quick hug and then he decided to head out, well he was going to say goodbye to his friends first and apologize to Mai for ruining her party.

Hakoda wanted a word with his daughter. "Can I speak with you, alone?"

Azula turned to her wife. Katara nodded and Azula said she'd be in her room if she needed her.

Katara and her father spoke in her room.

"What is with you and Azula?"

"What?" That's what he wants to talk about right now.

"She was your date. She kissed you. She's outside your door playing bodyguard." Is his daughter a lesbian? That is unacceptable.

"Well if you paid any attention, you would realize why she was my date. What in Tui's name were you thinking getting Aang to ask me out again."

"I just thought that …"

"What? That he made me happy? That I wanted to be with him. Because if you thought either of those two things, you haven't been paying attention to me for the last year and a half."

"That's not fair."

"Isn't it? All you ever do is ask me about how is Aang, make not so subtle suggestions about tying the knot. Lots of girls want him. You don't want to miss your shot. I had my shot and I was ready to walk away, but that wasn't good enough for you. Do you have any idea what it was like having everyone in my life tell me I should stay with him even though I didn't want to?

It was like I didn't matter anymore. I was about to give up. I stopped confiding in my friends and I stayed quiet about my problems with him because I felt like I was letting everyone down by ending it.

I finally snapped when I saw his betrothal necklace and knew I had to get away before he proposed. I told him I didn't want an engagement, but he made it anyway. He just assumed I would marry him, just like you did and just like everyone else.

For nine months I had to avoid him to try and prevent him from proposing. When I would see him, he would invite himself to wherever I was going and try and figure out a way to get back into my life. It was bad enough that you pushed me towards him, but then you conspired to get me alone with him and even better told him he better strike now before I accept one of the Northern suitors. If you were paying any attention, you would have realized I rejected them too.

I don't need any suitors. I can find my own partner when I am ready and I won't accept anything else. You want to know who Azula is to me. She's my best friend. She's the one who never tried to make me something I'm not. She's the one who encouraged me to take my dream job in Gaoling, and said I could come back with her to the palace when it didn't work out. She's the one who kept the suitors at bay for me because I asked her to help me."

"She sounds more like a girlfriend than a friend."

"So what if she was?" Katara challenged him.

"Excuse me."

"What if I dated her? At least she wouldn't expect me to start cranking out kids before I'm 18."

"You can't be serious. Do you know how humiliating that would be for me?"

"Really, this is about your humiliation. You didn't seem to care about how humiliated I was last night. You never even apologized."

"Should I have?"

"Yes. Bato did. At least he's man enough to admit it when he's wrong."

"How dare you take that tone with me?"

"How dare you try to run my life? I won't stand for it."

"I don't know what kind of ideas Azula has put in your head, but you will find a respectable young man and you will marry him."

"We'll see about that."

Hakoda was determined to find her a man now. Maybe Arnook's deal could work.

Azula came back to her wife. Katara clearly had been crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet."

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No, but it would be nice if you talked to me."

Azula sat with her. "Do you remember last year's ball?"

"How could I forget? You got me drunk and told me all about how you nailed Ming Fong."

"Remember what I said to you?"

**Last Year's Ball**

"It's funny Zuko sent you to guard me. You're hotter than Ming was anyway. How about we end your Aang problem right now? If we got caught getting nasty in here, he'd leave you alone, we'd rid you of your clear sexual frustration, and I would be even more notorious than I already am."

"My father is here!"

"He also wants you to marry Aang. I bet he'll give up really fast."

"You're terrible."

"I'm actually amazing. Ask Ming, when she catches her breath."

"How did you manage to get in the throne room anyway?"

"He still doesn't lock it. This whole thing was Kuei's fault anyway."

"For not locking the door?"

"For not buying enough booze. If he kept it coming, then people would have been in a better mood. They would have found it hilarious that I banged Ming Fong in the throne room. Think about it. I conquered the throne room not once but twice."

Katara laughed at her. "That's wicked."

"Wickedly awesome. She was so easy. Her father made it easier for me to bang her.""

"How did he do that?"

"Girls love bad boys and when they can't have a bad boy, many of them go for bad girls. I made some casual conversation with her, flirted oh so lightly and he saw it and told her to stay away from me. If she wasn't hot for me before, she was hot for me then."

Azula recounted the things she told Ming to get her interested.

"You used the fact that you shot Aang and Zuko as pickup lines." Katara got angry. How terrible! Also, she had to save them.

"Yep. I'm bad, fearless, powerful, which is exactly what girls want between their legs. For some reason, people think pleasure is bad. Like sex is supposed to be all babies and no fun. Being bad is what makes sex fun, which is why I get girls. I'm fun. And it's also why there should have been more booze."

Booze helps people do what they want and ignore the consequences. There would have been more drunk hookups all around. Now people are just looking at each other and thinking about it. They're not doing it. If there was more booze, there would be nothing wrong with me devouring you right now."

"You are so distasteful!"

"I bet you taste delicious." Azula put her hand on Katara's knee and had a carnal grin.

"You'll never find out." Katara removed it.

"Are you sure about that? You came here to spend your evening with me when you could have just hid in the bathroom or gone to play with Bosco. You've grown into a very fine young woman. Your body changed in all of the right ways. You have urges calling you that haven't before, and the urge only gets stronger the longer you hold it in."

Azula moved closer, causing Katara to shiver ever so slightly.

"At some point, you're going to reach your limit and need some satisfaction. Do you really think Aang will ever please you? He's awkward, never even touched a girl before and still looks like he's 12; he just grew a bit taller. Has his voice even dropped?

You need someone who can take care of business not a boy looking to play house. I take care of business like no other. I promise two things when it comes to hooking up. I will make you laugh, and I will make you cum. When's the last time you've gotten either of those from your monk?"

Before Katara could answer, Zuko came to get her. "Time to go back to the inn." He turned to Katara. "I hope she didn't hit on you too much."

"No, not at all."

**Present**

"I was pretty shameless, yet you covered for me," Azula said as she stroked Katara's hair. "I wasn't sure if you were just being a friend or if it meant I could flirt with you more."

"You made me feel better. Sure, you were shamelessly trying to hookup with me, but I took it as mostly teasing. Also, it made me forget about how annoying Aang had been that night. I felt like he had been parading me around because we had just gotten back together."

"Well, it's all over now."


	7. Chapter 6

**4 Weeks Later**

Katara missed her Gran Gran. She had not seen her in over a year because of issues with her father. "It's not fair. I know she's old and won't want to come here but I miss her."

"Then go to her," Azula said. She rubbed her wife's shoulders. "Sure your father is being a putz, but he can't keep you from her. Just go to her house and tell her your side of things. Didn't she run away to avoid a betrothal? I think she'll understand better than anyone else."

If anything, it made Hakoda's actions even worse. He wouldn't exist in a world where fathers picked husbands for their daughters. Kanna was strong and independent like Katara. He would never talk to his mother the way he had his daughter.

"Will you come with me?" This isn't what Azula signed up for, so she understood if Azula didn't want to go, but she always felt safe with her wife at her side.

"Of course." She wouldn't leave Katara alone with her father. He'd probably have a husband waiting for her. Who knows how he would react if Katara told him the truth all by herself?

Azula went to tell her brother she and Katara were leaving for her homeland.

"How long will you be there?"

"It depends on how much of a jerk her father is, maybe two weeks or more. I don't think we'd stay for more than a month."

"Meeting the parents, if I didn't know any better, I would say this is serious." Zuko noticed a change in his sister. Fewer nights at the bar, she seemed less drunk. She still talked a lot about nailing bimbos, but it could be all talk. She didn't come home smelling like cheap perfume and tobacco anymore. Was she getting attached?

"No way. Someday Katara will find someone she actually wants to spend her days with. For now, I'm a nice substitute."

"Whatever you say." Azula always lies anyway.

A week later, Katara was struggling to figure out what to pack. She didn't want to tell her father about the marriage if she didn't have to, but she didn't like keeping it from her Gran Gran. They were so close, and she had kept so much from her. Sending letters here and there was not enough. She sat there holding her betrothal necklace. It was beautiful. She set it on her bed wondering if she should take it with her. She'd think about it later.

Two days later, they were on a ship headed for the tribe. It would take 4 days to get there. Normally, it took 6, but the Fire Nation just revealed these new, faster commercial ships. She was surprised that such a fancy company even bothered to go to her tribe, but she suspected Azula had something to do with it.

"Let's go baby." Azula said as they went to find their private room.

* * *

Ty Lee came to visit the palace and was surprised when she heard that Katara and Azula were gone.

"Where did they go?" she asked Mai.

"To visit Katara's tribe."

"So they're finally official." It's about time.

"According to Azula, no."

"She's such a liar."

"Well, I can't help you there."

"Why can't she just admit that she's in love with Katara?"

"What?" Zuko came from his study.

"It's so obvious, the way she protects her from harm, the way she always takes Katara's side like she can do no wrong, the way she holds Katara's hand when she thinks no one else is looking."

"I asked her about it, but she said it was temporary."

"She's so afraid of love. I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Uh, she was raised by Ozai. I think that accounts for almost all of her issues." Mai growled. The rest of them probably came from Ursa.

Ty Lee frowned. "Well, will you go shopping with me?" she asked Mai.

"Sure."

They went downtown and looked in various clothing stores and boutiques. Mai decided to check out the jewelry and when she got there, the cashier said to her, Fire Lady Mai, your crown is not ready yet.

"What crown?"

"You did not commission a crown. It says for the palace on it." He went to go check. "Oh my bad, it's for the Princess."

"What? She already has a crown."

"Well, she paid a good deposit to have me make this one." He brought out what was the shell of a crown. Unlike the yellow gold and rubies traditional for the Fire Nation, this one was white gold. "It's taking some time because white gold was hard to find and the sapphires I needed along with the diamonds will take some time to come in, but it will be a looker."

Mai frowned. Those are water tribe colors. "I'll be sure to let the Princess know."

"Why would she have another crown made?" Ty Lee asked.

"It's not for her," Mai said as they were leaving. "It's for Katara."

"What?" That would mean they plan on getting married.

"Look at the colors. They are water tribe colors."

"She's going to propose. Finally!"

"What? What if Katara doesn't want this?"

"She has to. Azula loves her, and I mean Aang thought he loved her, but he was just kind of obsessed with her although he's much better now and Koko gave him a second chance and …"

"Forget Aang and Koko, everything you told me suggested Azula loved Katara, not the other way around."

"I don't know Katara as well, but she hasn't dated anyone else; she actually is willing to date Azula knowing full well of her past. Why would she stick around if she didn't love her? She's past the point of commitment free sex. It's been at almost a year since they started hooking up."

Mai hummed. "It has been a while, but this is marriage and Azula. She's so anti-marriage. She tried to talk both Zuko and me out of it. She bashes it every chance she gets."

"Maybe it's a front. She does lie a lot."

"You mean all this time she and Katara had a serious relationship, and she just hid it."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Only one way to find out."

They went back to the palace and decided to search through the Princess's rooms. They found nothing at first, but then Mai found a box. It was small and wooden in the corner of her closet.

She opened it up. It had travel papers, sky ship tickets, and receipts. "Did you know she went to Omashu in May last year?"

"She didn't tell me."

"Look she bought two tickets, so she didn't go alone."

"Maybe she went with Katara."

Mai continued to look. "They went to Yu Dao too and there's the receipts from Gaoling and letters from Katara. It's like she kept everything from the past year in this box." Mai felt a false bottom. She opened it.

"What the hell!"

Mai put down the box. Ty Lee was at Azula's jewelry box.

"What is it?"

"It's a wedding ring." It was gold and inscribed on the inside was _Katara's bitch._ Ty Lee showed it to Mai.

"Whoa!" She went back to the box. "Here's a marriage certificate. They got married in Omashu last May."

"What?" Ty Lee went to look. It was a marriage license issued to Azula and Katara. "They started their relationship with a marriage! We have to tell Zuko."

"Oh no. He will have a heart attack."

"He's your husband!"

"And Azula will tell him when she comes home and can explain it to his face. I'm not letting her get out of telling him the truth or us for that matter."

"She said it was complicated and she wouldn't tell me how they got together, but this is more than just complicated."

"Why would Katara marry Azula maybe a month after breaking up with Aang?" It had been a rhetorical question, but she said it out loud.

"You don't think they had an affair do you?"

She pondered which was worse, an affair instead of just breaking up with Aang or an impromptu marriage? "I hope it was an impromptu marriage. That would just be stupid; an affair would be cruel."

They carefully put everything back in its place. Ty Lee went to see Katara's room.

"What are you doing?"

"Curious if her ring is in here too."

Reluctantly, Mai followed her inside. They found out the truth, why keep snooping?

"In a little ring box in her dresser was a gold band, _Property of Azula."_

"Alright, you found it so lets go."

"There's letters too. I wonder what they wrote to each other."

"We can't read those."

"But …"

"No buts." Mai thought that was crossing the line. If she had written letters to her husband, she would not want Azula snooping.

* * *

When they got to the tribe, Azula was sure to have a copy of their travel papers made. Katara noticed she did this every time they travelled, but she didn't ask why. She assumed it had to do with accounting for crown money or something.

Katara was about to carry her bag and was surprised when a crew member from the ship picked it up instead.

"They know I tip well," Azula said as another man grabbed Azula's bag and they followed the women to Katara's home.

"This is it. It isn't much," especially compared to a palace, "but it's home."

"As long as you're in it, and I am in you, I think it will suit me just fine."

"You are such a cow pig."

"You like it." Azula tipped the men and they were off.

"Should we unpack while there is still daylight?"

They set up what they needed to wash up and to go bed as well as unpacking their food supplies and setting them up.

"What was it like the last time you were here?"

"It was actually right before I broke up with Aang." Katara explained that Hakoda kept dropping hints about marriage, while Katara tried to discourage it and then gave up. When she got back, she found Aang's betrothal necklace even though she had told him repeatedly not to push her on marriage right now. "It was like Hakoda's will was all he heard. I couldn't do it. I knew if I rejected the necklace, my father would berate me until I accepted it, so I dumped him before he could ask."

Azula gave her a kiss.

Kanna had heard that Katara was seen coming off a ship. She went to her house and when she went inside, she was surprised to see her granddaughter being kissed by another woman.

"I'm glad you're my wife," Azula said to her, stunning the elder.

"What?"

They turned, now aware that Gran Gran had caught them.

The three women froze, unsure of what to do before Kanna spoke. "Well aren't you going to introduce me to your wife?"

Azula laughed nervously. Katara hugged her grandmother and then said, "Gran Gran, this is Princess Azula, my wife." Azula went to shake her hand, but found herself in a hug.

"I knew Katara would find the right person some day. I just didn't think you would be so pretty or a woman. Aang was a sweet boy but not much of a looker."

Azula's mouth hung open. "Gran Gran," Katara chastised.

"What? He wasn't phallic shaped to you?"

Azula wished Ty Lee were here to hear this.

"Shall I make us some tea?"

"Yes please, and I want to hear about how you got married."

Katara started with her breakup with Aang. "I fled to the palace afterwards and asked Zuko not to tell anyone where I was. When he got a letter from Sokka, I wrote to him myself and asked him not to tell Aang where I went. Anyway, I got a letter from Suki about three weeks later saying that Arnook wanted to make me the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe and have me marry a man there and whoever I chose would become chief. However, he needed Dad's permission to do this. Dad wanted me to marry Aang and that would have been a way out, but if I didn't accept Aang's proposal, there was a chance that Dad would agree.

I didn't want to be forced into a marriage, but I didn't know what I could do to get out of it. I didn't want to hide forever and lose touch with everyone, but it seemed like everyone wanted me to marry someone whether it was Aang or Hahn or any of those other guys. I confided in Azula my problem, and she offered to marry me, so that I couldn't be forced to marry someone who I didn't choose."

"So you got married to get out of a marriage."

"It sounds crazy, and it kind of was, but it was an ingenious move. It made me a Fire Nation Princess, which would stop Arnook from making me his tribe's princess and even if Azula and I divorced, I could retain my Fire Nation citizenship, which would prevent him from making me his princess without Zuko's permission."

"So what did you get out of this?" Kanna asked the Princess.

"I got to help a friend. I was sick of her feeling pressured to settling down and cranking out kids before she was ready. I wanted her to live her life as she wanted to, whether it was at the palace or in Gaoling or with her brother on Kyoshi Island. She owed me nothing other than living a life that made her happy and if she fell in love with someone else, I would let her go.

She's been the best friend that I could have asked for. If it weren't for her, I would not only be a murderer, but I would also still be in a mental asylum. She saved the avatar, my brother, and she saved me from ruin. I'd do anything for her and I didn't see myself getting married anyway. I was never one for romance and if I was going to get married, I wanted it to be for the right reasons, and I couldn't think of a better reason than Katara."

Kanna knew young love when she saw it, regardless of their "reasons." "Are you happy?" she asked her granddaughter.

"Very."

"Then welcome to the family, Azula. I take it you haven't told your father about this."

Katara cringed. She had to explain to her what happened during the ball and then after the ball, and she hadn't spoken to him since. "He was furious at even the suggestion that I date her. I couldn't tell him that I had married her nine months before."

Kanna sighed. She supported her granddaughter's choice to be happy, but Katara had to come clean. "You will have to tell him."

"If I may," Azula added. "We always intended on telling him, but we didn't want to show our hand early. Arnook would have to invalidate our marriage to proceed with his plan and the more time he has to get lawyers and do research, the more trouble he can cause for us. We wanted to wait and see if he tried anything before we told him and I have to assume that Hakoda is an integral of any plan that he has."

"Can he invalidate our marriage?" Katara assumed it was a done deal.

"I don't think so. As far as Fire Nation law and Earth Kingdom law are concerned, we are legally married, which should be enough to prevent him from making you a princess. Even if the tribes do not recognize our marriage, they have to recognize your Fire Nation citizenship, which came with our marriage. As your sovereign, Zuko has a right to prevent any attempts to make you a Princess of the North." He can, for example, prohibit her from accepting the title.

"If that's all it took, then why are you worried?" Kanna didn't get it.

"There are a few ways that they could try to attack our marriage anyway. They could try and argue that it's a sham marriage, but I think only Zuko can make that determination. They could accuse Zuko of conspiring to interfere with their political process and try to challenge him to a duel. They might even accuse you of being a mole for hiding your citizenship.

I hope it doesn't come to this, but I've always been one to prepare for the worst and given the circumstances that led us to be married, I have to assume that they won't listen to you when you tell them you don't want to be their Princess."

Katara was worried now. "Do you have a plan?"

"I do. I've been keeping records of everything since we got married to prove that it's not a sham. I kept Zuko in the dark to protect him, so no one could accuse him of using you as a spy or trying to obfuscate Arnook's attempt to find a new chief. If I have to, I'll fight in the duel, so Zuko doesn't."

"What?" Kanna turned to her.

"If they're challenging my marriage, then I have to defend it. It's my job to protect her."

Katara didn't like that. "You could get hurt."

"I could, but I'll win. Who are they going to have fight me?" The only people who could really match her were the Avatar and her own family, so what were they going to do.

"If it's a tribal duel," Kanna started, "you won't be able to use your bending. It will be a weapons battle."

"How do they choose the weapon?"

"The person who is challenged gets to choose. Traditionally, it's a battle with a spear."

"Can I use a sword instead?"

She didn't know of any rule against it. A surprise weapon may come in handy.

Katara hugged her. She didn't want to see her get hurt. "Don't worry. This might not even happen and if it does, I might come away with a sexy battle scar."

"Shut up!"

"I better get dinner started. Will you two come over?"

Azula looked at her wife.

"Yes," Katara said for them.

Kanna was making dinner when her husband came home. "How was work?"

"It was pretty typical." He had been helping with the repairs on the tribe's hall. "How was your day?"

"It was surprising. We have two guests for dinner tonight."

"Two guests? Are Sokka and Suki here?"

"Close, but not quite."

About twenty minutes later, Azula and Katara came to the house.

"Hi Pakku!"

"Katara, welcome back." He hadn't seen her in some time. He stayed at the tribe during the ball. They hugged. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"I know. Have you met Azula?"

He looked at the Princess. She was wearing a fur coat, which kind of made her look like a little yeti. "I don't believe I have. It's a pleasure Princess." They shook hands.

"Well, this is a surprise," Pakku said as they sat down to eat. "How did you two get to be here together?"

The two women weren't sure what to tell him. Clearly Kanna had not told him. Azula was hesitant to tell him the whole story. According to Katara, he was from the Northern Water Tribe and may very well feel an allegiance to Pakku or be a stickler for traditional marriage.

Katara started off with as vague information as possible. "We've gotten close over the years and I wanted to introduce her to my family. She's already met Sokka and Dad, so I brought her here to meet you and Gran Gran."

"Well that's nice. I hope you enjoy your stay." If he suspected there was more, he didn't ask about it. Instead, they talked about what Katara had been doing for the past year and what had been going on at the tribe.

After some post-dinner conversation, Kanna said she was getting sleepy, so Azula and Katara saw themselves out.

* * *

Once they were gone, Pakku said to his wife, "Katara's friend seems nice." He didn't leave the tribe too much and didn't know much about her other than she had been quite the trouble-maker during the war, but had kept herself out of (legal) trouble afterwards. "Getting rid of her father must have made a big difference."

"What?"

"Ozai, he's in jail. He can't be a bad influence on her anymore."

"Oh yeah right."

"Is something wrong?"

Kanna didn't want to give everything away, but she didn't like keeping things from her husband either. "What would you think if Katara and Azula weren't _friends_?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what if they were more like Suki and Sokka than let's say, Sokka and Aang."

Pakku frowned in confusion before he finally got it. "You mean like they're dating."

"Something like that."

Pakku finished his water. "I didn't think Katara went that way."

"You wouldn't think any less of her."

"Of course not. Why would you even think that?"

"We grew up in a different time, in a different tribe."

"I think it's for the best that Katara was born here and not in the North if that's what you mean, but I doubt anyone would make a scene about it here."

Unfortunately, her father would make a scene. "I think they were both nervous about telling you, or anyone else for that matter."

Pakku was surprised. "Azula hardly seemed like the nervous type."

"People can surprise you."

* * *

When Iroh came to the palace, Mai wondered if she should ask him about Azula's marriage. He seemed to know more about her relationship with Katara than anyone else did at the beginning, but she didn't want to put him in the position of trying to keep a decision from Zuko. Instead, she tried to ask him in hypotheticals.

"Can you think of any reason that someone would get married before they started dating?"

"Not an arranged marriage," or else there would be no dating.

"No, I mean more like going away, eloping, coming home and then start telling people you're dating."

"That would be odd behavior." If it was about parental disapproval, why tell them you're dating. If they had to run away to get married, why come home? "Let's think about the benefits of marriage. It could have been for an inheritance and they were going to reveal the marriage when it was time to collect. It could have been about giving one the people a title, such as making her a lady or a Princess."

Mai flinched a little when he said Princess.

"Is there something you want to tell me? Perhaps something you didn't tell Zuko."

"Ugh! You caught me. Ty Lee and I went snooping through Azula's stuff and we found out she and Katara got married almost a year ago."

"Before they were "dating.'"

"Exactly, and we have no idea why."

"Well, I'm sure she will have a story to tell you when she gets back home. It could have been a drunken elopement, and they were embarrassed about getting a divorce, so they kept it quiet."

"Maybe." That's not a bad theory at all. "I just want to know what's going on, and I know if I tell Zuko and she's not here, he'll go down to find her and make a scene."

"Oh, he'll lose it. It's best to let Azula take that verbal lashing."

"Agreed."

Ty Lee had gone back to the warrior house. She still couldn't believe Azula got married. Ms. True Player for Life got married first. Then she frowned. Azula was totally chasing bimbos after she got married. What the hell?

"How was the Palace?" Rai asked her.

"It was fun. I hung out with Mai. Azula wasn't there."

"She wasn't?"

"She and Katara went to the tribe."

"Whoa, so they're actually a real couple now."

"Apparently, but Azula still denies it."

"She's whipped and she doesn't even know it. The next thing she knows, they'll be married."

Ty Lee laughed. "If only…."


	8. Chapter 7

Pakku hadn't realized that Katara didn't tell Hakoda she had come back to the tribe. He was surprised that Hakoda didn't find out anyway, since everyone talks so much. It was awkward when he said, "it must be nice to have your daughter home."

"What?" She's back home.

"I assumed that you knew." This explains why he didn't come to dinner that night.

Hakoda stayed quiet on the issue. During the day, Katara helped her Gran Gran with chores and then she would take Azula out to explore the tribe.

"Let's go sledding."

"Cool." Azula got there. "Where's the sled?"

"You just grab an otter penguin." Katara grabbed one and sled down the hill. Azula followed. She fell off pretty quickly.

"They are slippery little buggers."

"I like how you thought we would have sleds. Like I build things out of wood."

"Can't you just waterbend one?"

Katara frowned. Why hadn't she thought of that?

They spent the rest of the afternoon making different types of sleds, trying to make the fastest one possible. Finally, they got fast enough to go airborne. Katara shouted the whole time.

"That was awesome."

They made it home and Azula was heating up their bath water when there was a knock at the door. Katara answered it.

"Dad."

"So you are here."

"I figured you knew. The tribe talks a lot."

"I see. You weren't going to stop by."

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me."

"Of course I do. I'm sorry about how I left things. I didn't think it would get out of hand like that. I thought you and Aang could make it work, but I have to let it go. I have let it go."

"Thanks Dad."

"Now that he's out of the way, you can start looking for a more suitable mate. There are plenty of single men here."

"I don't know about that …"

"It doesn't have to be anything fancy. We can have some snacks and you can just meet them."

"Alright," Katara said.

"We'll make it a few days from now. I'll see you at Kanna's for dinner."

"Of course."

It was a small home. Azula heard everything. She stayed silent. Katara didn't even realize she was upset until later.

"Are you ready for dinner?"

"I'm invited?"

"Of course you're invited. Why wouldn't you be?"

"I don't know. Maybe because your father doesn't know I'm here or think that we're in a relationship and he plans on finding matches for you as we speak."

"You're not jealous. It's hardly going to be anything. They'll have tea. I'll hear their spiels and then I'll say there's no chemistry and be done." Katara knew that it would likely be much worse than this, but she needed Azula to keep it together because she might not.

Azula wasn't sure if it would be that easy. What if Hakoda liked one of them for her? What if Katara liked them back? She was wondering if her anniversary plans were going to go to hell. "Okay, I'm sure we can manage."

Katara kissed her. "I'm sure none of them are as pretty as you."

"Or as good in bed."

Azula's stomach felt awful. She promised Katara not to hold her back, not to stop her from being happy, but now, she didn't want to let her go. They had gone through so much together. They had so much more awesomeness left in them.

When they got to dinner, Hakoda was surprised to see Azula with them. The Princess was tempted to tell him off, but she held her tongue. Katara wanted him to think they were just friends and she would not ruin it.

"So, have you found a boyfriend," Hakoda asked her.

"I don't date boys." Boys are for chumps.

Kanna and Pakku looked at each other. This is going to be awkward.

"Have they done something to offend you?"

"Well other than having penises, which are gross, they tend to be stinky, overbearing, and they don't have breasts, basically, a complete disappointment."

Katara snickered at her.

"Maybe you should try it with a boy. You might change your tune."

"If you think they're so great, maybe you should get a boyfriend. I hear there are plenty of single men here."

Kanna chuckled. Katara did not. She glared at her. Azula toned it down.

"It makes it harder to have children without a male."

"Adoption makes it pretty easy, and also there are seed donors. I don't need a man to start a family or to raise one."

"How about defending one?"

"I live in a palace full of guards. I think I would manage."

There was no way Hakoda was talking her into being straight. If anything, these words were meant for Katara. Azula knew that, but she didn't want Katara to think that not having a man meant any family plans were ruined.

"Do you even want kids?" Pakku asked her. "They were not in the cards for me, and I don't regret it."

Kanna glared at him.

"I love Katara and Sokka, you know that, but I would have been useless with a baby."

Azula couldn't believe she was about to say this. "For a long time, I swore off the possibility of children, but if I met the right person, it could happen."

Katara almost spit out her food. She might want kids if she met the right person? Am I not the right person? I'm her wife and she's not even asking me about kids!

The dinner was more subdued after that. When they got home, Azula was getting ready for bed. "That could have gone worse," Azula said as she changed.

Katara didn't answer.

"Tara, is there a problem?"

"When were you going to tell me?" She was pissed.

"Tell you what?"

"That you wanted kids."

Why is she mad about this? "I don't. I mean I might want them later, but I don't know for certain that I do."

"You didn't even tell me it was a possibility."

"You never brought it up."

"You should have brought it up!"

"When? We've never talked about our future."

Katara paused. "You meant with me?"

"No I want to have kids with Ty Lee. Who else could I have meant?"

"You said if I find the right person."

"Well we haven't told your father that we are together, so what should I have said? Hey, I might want to have babies with your daughter even though you're clearly homophobic and don't even know we're married much less involved." She turned to her wife. "I didn't mean to frighten you or suggest I wanted to be with another woman, but it's hard to answer questions about our future when people don't know about us."

"I overreacted didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, but you're passionate." Azula closed the gap and kissed her. "It's what makes you a great friend and an amazing lover. It's the number one reason that I love you."

"You love me."

"I do."

"You never told me."

"I didn't want to trap you."

"What?"

"I promised you that this marriage would be your freedom. I meant it when I said I wasn't going to tie you down. How was I supposed to go back on my word and say, I know we're buddies and all, and we got married to save your ass, and you were supposed to be free to leave at anytime, but I fell in love with you along the way and now I want us to be a family?"

This can't be right. Womanizing Azula wants to be her one and only, to have a family with her, a traditional marriage as it were, maybe even kids some day. This is the girl who used her crimes as pickup lines and appealed to people's sense of patriotism to get laid, yet she was somehow the sweetest person Katara had ever met.

She didn't hesitate to offer her hand when Katara was in trouble. She gave her a beautiful wedding and a lovely wedding night, a fun honeymoon. She encouraged her to travel, to take her dream job, to reunite with her family after being away for so long. She gave Katara everything and all she wanted in return was love. She wasn't sure if love was something you fall into or something you chose for yourself, but she chose Azula because if this girl didn't deserve her, then no one did.

Katara pressed her lips to her wife. "I chose you. I don't need or want anyone else. I love you."

Azula scooped her in her arms. "Say it again."

"I love you."

Azula got her to say it all night as their clothes came off and they made love for hours. Having a firebender in bed was nice. She kept Katara nice and warm.

* * *

Pakku and Kanna spoke after dinner. "That was such an odd dinner," he said. "Why didn't they just tell him that they're dating?"

"Katara tried after the Two Hearts Day ball, but they got into a fight before she could really explain anything. I think Hakoda's in denial. Setting her up with suitors won't make her straight."

By the time the "tea" came around, Azula was in such a good mood that nothing Hakoda said or did could bring her down from her high. Katara loved her. She chose her and Hakoda could shove that in his peace pipe and smoke it. The Princess had a skip to her step. She was on cloud nine.

While Katara was getting ready, Azula spent the day helping Gran Gran. Afterwards, she showed her the betrothal necklace she had made for Katara.

"It's beautiful. Too bad she can't wear it here."

"Someday, she'll be able to wear it anywhere."

"You made this by hand?"

"I had the jeweler cut the stone, but I made everything else," even the insignia on the back.

"It's a lot to do for a friend."

"I wanted to do it right. No one wants a weak proposal."

"It sounds like you two have become more than just friends who are married."

"We are. We didn't plan it that way, but our marriage is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"You are in for a bumpy ride. You better hold on tight."

Katara went to Hakoda's house where there were three different boys, each hoping to get her favor.

The first one looked like a younger version of Bato. It was his nephew. Even if Katara were looking for a man, she couldn't make out with a look-alike of her father's best friend. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I just see Bato when I look at you, and I don't think that will work. It would be like kissing my uncle."

Hakoda sighed. The boy took it in good stride. "Well, if I was cursed to inherit his rugged good looks, I suppose I'll have to deal. It was nice seeing you again Katara."

She had a feeling he would have no trouble meeting women.

The next boy was so nervous he puked upon meeting her. No!

The last boy seemed to be okay at first. They talked about where she had been the past year and what he was doing with the tribe. It was going fine until he said, "Did you really slap Aang because he kissed you?" His tone was arrogant.

"It's not that he kissed me. It's that he kissed me after I broke up with him and repeatedly turned down his advances. He just couldn't take no for an answer."

"It was just a kiss. It's not like he tried to rape you."

Big mistake. Katara waterbended a bucket's worth of water on his head. "Goodbye."

"What was that?"

"He had a chance, and he just washed out."

When she told Azula about it, the girl was all smiles. "You're so sexy when you're mad. I just know when we get it on, it's going to be really hot!"

Katara glared.

"I mean what a misogynistic jerk and he had it coming. … Can we make out now?"

The two girls started to kiss. They didn't hear anyone coming to her house.

"Katara, Honey," Hakoda started as he knocked on the door. "We need to talk. You won't find a husband if you scare away all of your (suitors) … WHAT IN TUI'S NAME!"

The two girls turned to see a shocked father. Azula looked at Katara. _What do you want to tell him?_

"Are you really surprised?" Katara asked him.

"Of course I'm surprised. You just spent three hours being courted BY MEN!"

"Because you insisted. Did you really think Azula and I were just friends? I've been living at the palace for almost a year. I brought her home to meet my family. I only have one bed here. What did you think we were doing together?"

"I don't even want to know, but what has she done to you? This isn't you. You like MEN!"

"Apparently, I like women more, and I don't just like her, I love her, and I choose her. I know this isn't what you wanted for me, but you of all people should have known that I wouldn't have my love life be dictated to you. I'm just like Gran Gran and if she had done what you propose I do, you wouldn't exist and neither would I."

"That's it. You're grounded."

"What? You can't ground me. I don't live here."

"I am the chief of this tribe and I can expel her, and put you on house arrest."

"What?"

"She's not just your citizen anymore," Azula said.

Katara threw a look at her; what was she going to say?

"I proposed to her and made her my consort, which means she is also a citizen of the Fire Nation and if you keep her against her will, you will spark an international incident. Zuko sees her as a sister, and he will level you."

"You just made all that up."

Azula went and got Katara's betrothal necklace. "Do you think I made this up?"

Katara put it on. "I already made up my mind."

He left in a huff.

"I'm sorry he found out that way." Azual kissed her wife's forehead.

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"Well, he's probably going to find out that you don't get citizenship by being engaged to me. We should leave before he realizes that."

"But we're married."

"I didn't bring proof of that here, did you?"

Katara shook her head. She didn't want to leave her Gran Gran so soon.

She went to tell her.

"He found out, didn't he?"

"He walked in on us kissing. I don't know what else I can do. I can't just stop feeling the way that I do."

"I know honey. I chose love too and I never got to reconcile with my parents. Try to leave a door open to work this out with him, no matter how long it takes."

Katara hugged her Gran Gran. "I don't want to leave so soon, but we have to go back."

"Maybe Pakku and I can visit you this year."

"I'd like that."

* * *

Hakoda needed to move quickly. He had to see if he could make a deal with Arnook before their wedding. He couldn't watch his daughter do this. It was unnatural. What's next, letting people marry otter penguins?

Four days later, Arnook received a letter from Hakoda.

Chief Arnook,

I have failed to find an eligible suitor for Katara in our tribe, and I am writing to see if you are still interested in making her your tribe's Princess. I must warn you that Princess Azula is pursuing a marriage with Katara. This is unacceptable to me, and if you offer still stands, then time is of the essence. Azula claimed that Katara is now a citizen of the Fire Nation. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, I do not know how it will affect your ability to appoint her a Princess. You may need to seek counsel.

Best,

Chief Hakoda

Chief Arnook was not surprised that the Fire Nation Princess would be in the way. She clearly had an interest in Katara. No matter. They would get this deal done before any marriage could take place. Arnook called for an emergency meeting of the Council.

* * *

When Azula and Katara came back, the Crown Princess went looking for her brother.

"Fire Lady Mai wishes to speak to you," A servant told the Princess.

"Very well, but I need to speak with my brother first; it is most urgent."

Azula went to his door to find out he is in a meeting.

"With whom may I ask?"

"The Crown's legal team."

"Perfect, I need them anyway." Azula walked right into the meeting, ignoring the guard.

"Azula, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be in the Southern Water Tribe?"

"I was, but I had to cut the trip short. I need to tell you stuff and I need legal advice. Should we just go for broke now?"

"We're in a meeting."

"It can wait. I guarantee you my matter is more important."

Zuko frowned. "What could be so important that you can't wait an hour?"

"Katara and I are married."

"That's nice Azula but we really need to …" Zuko started to process. Everyone looked at him. My sister … who hates marriage… and fidelity… and children… is married …to Katara. "What?"

"And we need legal advice."

Zuko realized he wouldn't win this one. "Fine. What did you do?"

Azula started with Suki's letter to Katara and Katara's freak out. "So to get her out of this stupid Princess of the Northern Water Tribe mess I offered to marry her."

"You what?"

"I said we could marry. They couldn't make her marry anyone else and then she could do what she wanted, live here, move elsewhere, or date whomever."

"When did you do this?"

"Last May."

"WHAT YOU GOT MARRIED BEFORE I DID!"

"I didn't know it was a competition."

"You kept telling me not to get married; it was for suckers."

"I had to maintain my image; plus Katara and I are buddies. I was helping her out."

"So that's when marriage is okay."

"Duh! Anyway, we got married in Omashu, had our honeymoon in Yu Dao, and came back here. She went to Gaoling for a couple of months; I went to visit and then she decided to quit her job. We went to visit her brother and then came home and we've been living "together" ever since.

During our trip to visit her family, we said our I love yous and now we're a real couple, but Hakoda caught us making out and tried to put her on house arrest so we told him we were engaged and she was already a citizen, so we could leave the country, but now we think he's writing to Arnook to try and accelerate their plan before our "wedding" because they don't know it's already happened yet, and I need to know from our lawyers is their anyway they could invalidate our marriage or try to ignore it or try to make me fight in a duel for her. On a related note, Zuko can you teach me how to fight with duo swords?"

Zuko was still baffled. "You GOT MARRIED!"

"Um, yeah! So lawyers, hit me with your best shot."

They reviewed her paperwork and said that the marriage would hold up in a Fire Nation court, but they needed to research both tribal and international law to best protect her and Katara's interests. They told her to record her marriage with the Head Sage and to have their family tree updated.

"Does she have a crown?"

"It's being made."

"Good. Having her live like a princess will help bolster any international position. I also suggest you tell your friends. If they are unaware of it, Hakoda and Arnook may claim it's a sham marriage."

"It kind of is," Zuko said.

"Don't say that," the lawyers scolded them. "Your official story is they are two friends who chose to be life partners and happened to fall in love along the way."

When the lawyers left, Azula was about to leave too when Zuko stopped him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What?"

"You got married just like that."

"What was I supposed to do? At the time (and now), I was the best friend she had. She was hiding from everyone else because she was afraid they were going to either tell her to marry Aang or tell her to become the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Her only options were run away or pre-emptively marry someone else, and she didn't want to run away, so we hid our marriage in plain sight."

"So you two got married, then started seeing each other and then fell in love."

"Exactly."

"That is the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I guess I got lucky, in more ways than once, budumpish."

"You can't say crude things about your wife."

"What?"

Katara ran into Mai on her way back to her room.

"I thought you were with your family."

"We told my dad about us. It went to hell. We came home."

"So you told him you're married."

"No, we told him we were engaged. How did you know we were married?"

Mai and Katara both had some confessing to do.

"We inadvertently found out she bought you jewelry, and we were concerned she was more into you than you were into her, so we started snooping in her room and we found her wedding ring and your marriage certificate. Nice inscription by the way."

Katara blushed. "She said I could pick it out."

Katara explained why they got married from the letter to the proposal to the wedding. "I don't know when it happened, but I fell in love with her. Actually, I think it came gradually. She took little fragments of my heart until she had them all."

"Well, you both fooled us, and everyone else pretty well. I don't know how you kept that a secret for as long as you did."

"It didn't feel like a real marriage at first. I mean it was a real wedding and wedding night and honeymoon, but we acted the same around each other except we added lots of kisses and sex. When she came to Gaoling, it was different. She came straight to me because I was lonely. I was just venting, but she made it better. It felt like more than just a political maneuver. Now, I know she feels the same way too."

"I still can't believe Azula got married first. It just baffles me."

"She's been a good wife, a great one, not that I've had other wives, but she's done so much for me and she never seems to mind."

"I can't believe she got to skip out on having a royal wedding. It was the biggest headache of my life."

"Yeah, it was nice having it just be us, although she almost punched the sage."

"Well, you can't take the fighter out of her."

As the lawyers suggested, Katara and Azula decided to tell all of their friends. Ty Lee offered to host everyone at the warrior house, so that it would be somewhat closer to those coming in from the north part of the Earth Kingdom.

Aang came with Koko, Toph with the Duke and Iroh came with June, even though he knew they were married. Zuko said the story was a doozy.

"Why are we all out here?" Sokka whined.

"Shut up and eat your sushi," Suki told him.

Azula and Katara looked at each other. "Um, thank you all for coming. I know you all have lives and stuff, so we're going to keep this short and sweet. The reason we invited you all here is because we have an announcement to make and a story to tell."

_Do you want to say it or should I?_

_You say it._

"Katara and I are married and we have been since last May. We got married and then started dating and now we're in love. The end."

"WHAT!" Sokka yelled. "You didn't even ask me!"

Katara looked at him. "Tell me you're kidding."

"Yeah, but I figured Zuko yelled a bunch when you told him, and I wanted to yell too!"

"You have no idea."

Zuko's reaction

At first, Zuko was too shocked to yell that much, but at dinner that night, the shock started to wear off a smidgeon.

"YOU GOT MARRIED TO AZULA! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?"

Then Mai or Katara would calm him down just for him to go, "AZULA DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? NO MORE BIMBOS AND GETTING TOO DRUNK TO KNOW YOUR OWN NAME. CAN YOU COMMIT TO THIS?"

Over the next week they got various questions like, are you sure you want to do this? Have you thought about children? Do you want to go back to the tribe some day?

Eventually, Katara told him. "I know this isn't what anyone expected, but marrying Azula has made me happier than I ever thought possible. Out of all of the people who wanted to marry me, she's the only one who was motivated by what I wanted. I said yes because she promised me my freedom, and I stayed here because she offered me so much more. She's been nothing but kind and considerate to me, and I would be a fool to let her go. I don't know where we'll live or if we'll have kids or how many, but she's stuck with me."

Present

"Um am I the only one wondering why you would get married before you started dating?" the Duke asked. Everyone else was still trying to process the fact that they were married.

"I think that's the story," Toph told him.

"It is." Katara and Azula started to tell it. Katara tried to focus on keeping the narrative linear. Azula was big on flashbacks and recounting stories that were merely mentioned in the main story.

"You'll take forever," Katara told her.

"But if we skip over the side stories, they will miss out on all of the references and jokes that can come out of this."

"Everyone knows your jokes are all sex jokes. They don't need a story to know that."

"You're no fun."

"That's not what you said last night."

"Nice one." They high fived and then went back to the story.

By the time they were all done, it seemed like the whole day had passed.

"Any questions?"

"So what are you going to do now?" Aang asked them, wondering if he ever knew Katara that well if she was so anti-settling down that she married a girl she wasn't even dating just to get out of it.

"Leave it to the lawyers and hope for the best," Katara said.

"I'm hoping for a duel," Azula said.

"What? Why would you want something barbaric and stupid, not to mention completely misogynistic."

"Because I think fighting for you would be really hot! I love fighting. You love watching me fight. Think about the victory sex potential."

"There is that."

"And if this is a traditional duel, I'm supposed to fight topless."

"Hot," yelled one of the warriors, likely Rai.

"I don't know about that."

"Tell me that isn't hot."

"But I want to be the only one to see you topless."

"Too late for that," Ty Lee said, earning some laughs.

"How many women have seen you topless?"

"Not that many. I focused more on taking their tops off than my own, saves time."

"Do you know how to fight with a spear?" Sokka asked her.

"No, but I can fight with my fists, I am learning to use swords and if they come on my turf, then they best be ready for an agni kai."

"Fighting for love is so hot!" Ty Lee was a bit overeager.

"Calm down," Katara snapped. "You had your turn."

"Sugar Queen is territorial."

"I love it when you're jealous. It's so hot!"

"Seriously, can you two stop talking about what gets you hot?" Sokka fussed.

"Shut up and eat your sushi," Katara told him.


	9. Chapter 8

Arnook's lawyers found out that an engagement, on its own, does not confer citizenship. A royal engagement can, but Azula did not make Katara her royal consort. They had to move quickly and once they had the number of votes needed in both tribes, they made Katara the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Kanna was furious, but she held her tongue. Hakoda would get what was coming to him soon enough anyway. She and Pakku were the only elders in their tribe who voted against the decree. Pakku learned of the marriage and was sad that this could split their family apart.

Zuko got the official announcement along with the request that Katara make herself available for the courting process the following month. However, Katara's wedding anniversary was the next day, so he decided to tell the lawyers now and tell them after their anniversary had passed.

Both women had come up with what they thought was the perfect present for the other. They had a candlelight dinner on Azula's pavilion, turtle crab cakes with roasted pine carrots and shared a chocolate lava cake for dessert. After dinner, Azula escorted her wife to the throne room. She presented her wife with a box.

"A year ago today, we married and you became my princess, my country's princess, but we didn't tell anyone. Now, we are on the verge of being a public couple and my country will love you because I do. This year has been the best year of my life and you've earned this." She presented Katara with the prettiest crown she could have imagined. It was made with her tribe's colors, which meant a lot to Katara. It said to her that they could have their future here without her having to cut ties with her roots. She could have it all.

"I love it," Katara put it on her head.

"You look so hot with that crown on."

"You just want to nail me in the throne room."

"I want to nail you everywhere."

"Well, I think you'll be in an even better mood when you see my present to you."

Katara led her wife upstairs where there was a new addition to their room. Above Azula's bed was a nude portrait of her wife. The painting was of her back but there was plenty of side boob and just the beginning of her ass showing.

"That is so sexy!"

With a crown on her head and a gorgeous depiction of Katara in plain sight, they went at it like gopher rabbits.

Zuko sent a servant to retrieve them the next day, sure that they would not be in a state of dress.

When Azula suited up to train, her brother first told her about the announcement and the decree.

"What's the next step?"

"The lawyers think we should go anyway but file papers saying we are coming under protest and we do not cede their legal authority to do this."

"Why say that if we're going?"

"Something about we can use the argument later if we end up in court."

"Well, fine. Let's train. I have a month to learn how to do this."

* * *

Like the prodigy she is, Azula took to her sword training quite well. It helped that she had many skilled fighters to practice with. Azula toned down her firebending training, only doing a bit each day to use her excess chi. She wanted to immerse herself in swords, so that they felt natural to her. She practiced with Zuko and would spar with him, Mai, Katara, and even Sokka who had come to prepare her with information about tribal customs. He regretted not telling Katara himself. He didn't think their father would actually do something like this. Does he not know Gran Gran?

He taught Azula the basics on spear fighting, but as she would likely be the one getting challenged, she would get to pick the weapon of choice and practically no one in the tribe fought with duo swords. They would be in unfamiliar territory, which was to her advantage.

She was eating more to keep up with all of her training and her body showed it, her muscles becoming larger and she thought she looked a little bulky, but Katara thought she looked hot. "I love all of this training you've been doing," she said as she squeezed her behind. "I want your body."

"Oh yeah."

Azula figured the sex was good cardio and her body could use the endorphins.

When their month was up, Azula and Zuko accompanied Katara to the Northern Water Tribe. Mai stayed to run the country.

"Good luck," she said as they left.

"You have everything right?" Zuko asked her.

"We have our rings and the betrothal necklace and an updated copy of our family tree. The lawyers kept all of the other paperwork."

"Okay good. They're meeting us at the dock."

They got on their sky ship and here goes nothing."

Hakoda frowned. "Are you sure that they can't block us somehow?"

"We already checked. There's no way Katara is a citizen, which means Zuko has no say in the matter."

"Then why file under protest."

"Everyone protests everything. It's just a procedural move."

Hakoda got a good tongue lashing from his mother before they left. He didn't want to pick Katara's husband, but she needed to have a husband, not an out of control firebending Princess.

Hahn was sure that he would become Chief now. He had been training for the Bisai challenges for months since he first learned of the plan to get a new Princess. It didn't matter who she was, as long as she wasn't fat, barren, or ugly. The challenges were a mix of puzzles, artistic talent and strength. He knew he had what it takes to win. He heard the elders fussing over the Fire Nation but who cares. Just pick a Princess, any princess.

Azula was expecting this to be just a Fire Nation/Water Tribes affair, and she was surprised to see Aang's sky bison as they got closer to the tribe as well as Sokka and Ty Lee coming on a sky ship that left from Kyoshi Island.

Their friends came for moral support.

After Aang had learned of their marriage, he admitted just how much Hakoda had been his ear about getting Katara to marry and settle down. Azula pitied the boy. He was so set on building the future he thought he wanted, he didn't even see how his plan for the future was really Hakoda's. The avatar owned up to his mistakes, but the Chief seemed insistent on making new ones.

When they landed, the royal family was led to a conference room where the Elders were waiting.

"Are you ready to begin your crowning ceremony?" Arnook said with a sneer.

"There won't be one," Zuko said firmly. "I do believe you need my permission to give a second crown a Fire Nation Princess, and you won't be getting it."

"Come again."

"Let me make this simpler," Azula said. "Katara won't be your princess and she won't be marrying one of your buffoons because she is already a Princess of the Fire Nation and she is already married to me."

Azula revealed a wedding ring. Katara had a matching one.

"This is an outrage."

His lawyers started whispering. "If you got married to beat this decree, it won't work. Once we issued the announcement, the Fire Nation had an obligation not to interfere. We won't recognize this union."

"Too bad we got married over a year ago," Katara told him.

The Fire Nation lawyers produced a marriage certificate. Azula had their updated family tree, which had their wedding date on it as well as the receipts from the day they bought their rings and the inn they stayed at that night.

"How is this possible?" Arnook was livid.

"I asked her to marry me. She said yes. We did it, and _then_ _we did it_, a lot of times. Do you get it?"

Hakoda was wondering what was taking so long. He and the others were waiting for the crowning ceremony to begin.

Instead, all he heard was shouting.

Arnook demanded to know why they got married and hadn't told anyone. Azula would only say, we got married because she did not want to be pressured to marry another and we didn't tell anyone because it was no one else's business.

When Hakoda came out, Arnook confronted him. "Did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Your daughter has been married for over a year."

"WHAT!"

"What's going on Pops?" Azula said with a sneer.

He exploded, yelling pointing fingers, throwing profanities left and right. Sokka had never seen him like this before. It's like he had lost his mind.

Arnook and Hakoda started pointing fingers at the other. Arnook blamed Hakoda for not even knowing his own daughter was married and Hakoda asked what good were lawyers if they couldn't even bother to check with city hall.

"She hasn't been home in over a year. How would I know what she's up to?"

"Way to keep track of her."

"At least my daughter's alive!"

Sokka dropped his jaw at that. Oh no he didn't.

Arnook decked him and they started brawling.

Azula shook her head. "Can we go home now?"

Once they were all done hitting each other, they decided to call it a night and planned to reconvene the next day.

Needless to say, the water tribes' lawyers were baffled. How did no one think of a secret elopement? They all assumed that Katara didn't know of this plan, but why wouldn't she if they used her brother to help start the negotiations. Of course he told her.

The best argument they could make was that this was a Crown conspiracy to interfere with the selection of the new chief.

Zuko's lawyers countered and said they don't care who the chief it, they just don't want Katara to be forced to marry him. Also, it wasn't a crown conspiracy.

As they bickered back and forth Hahn was frustrated. He just wanted this shindig to get started.

* * *

Unfortunately for Sokka, he was bound to answer all questions honestly that the tribe posed to him. He had to admit that although he didn't tell Katara about the plan, she knew about it and married to avoid it.

They argued that her marriage was a form of treason and she was acting as a spy. Her choice was to repudiate the marriage and become the new princess of the north or face banishment from her tribe forever.

Katara fainted when they told her. She never thought her own father would let this get so out of control. Hakoda knew his daughter would pick the tribe over Azula. Surely she would be furious, but she will get over it in time.

Azula challenged Arnook to a duel as her wife's honor was at stake. Agni Kais are can be refused, but in the Northern Water Tribe, the chief cannot refuse a duel over a high crime, such as treason.

The two disputed whether or not he could have a champion fight in his steed. In the Fire Nation, only nonbenders can have benders take their place in an agni kai. In the water tribes, any member can call for a champion. She agreed to a champion if he agreed to challenge her to the duel. They shook on it, and Hahn fought for Arnook.

The council decided unanimously that if Hahn won, there would be no tournament and he would marry Katara.

The duel was three days later.

Hahn was sure that he had the advantage as he had been training with spears his whole life. It wasn't until Azula asserted her privilege to pick a weapon that he was concerned. "I assert my option to fight with dual dao swords in lieu of a spear."

He gulped. He had never fought against them before. This would be interesting. No matter. She was a girl. How bad could this be?

Katara was still furious with her father. She wouldn't even look him in the eye. Sokka wouldn't either.

"I'm sorry I testified against you."

"I wasn't going to let you get banished for me."

He hugged her. "When did things get this bad?"

"Now do you understand why I married Azula so hastily?"

"I do."

**The Duel**

The entire Northern Water Tribe as well as the representatives from the South came to the duel. Also in attendance were Toph, the Duke, and Uncle Iroh as well as the other members of Team Katara.

Iroh came to wish his niece luck before her fight. "I think this is the first time you've ever rooted for me in a fight."

"Well, there was your master's test, but I guess so." He kissed her forehead.

She went out into the ring. When it was time to line up, she tore off her shirt and threw it out of the ring, her breasts still covered by her binding.

Katara was getting hot watching her, muscles jutting out of her back, her shoulders broad, a six-pack visible, and that smirk on her face.

"Calm down Sugar Queen; they haven't even fought yet," Toph teased.

"Spirit's help me, my wife is so HOT!"

Azula smirked as she lined up on one side. Hahn was on the other. She wore thin sheets of armor on her pants, courtesy of Toph who used the strongest metal she could find.

Azula had her feet squared towards Hahn; her swords held low and angled high, pointing towards his head. He had his right foot in front and his left foot back, blocking his heart from her blade. When the horn sounded, the fight was on.

He took a jab. She shoved his spear out of the way with her right sword and nicked him with her left sword, just drawing blood on his chest.

"First draw to the Princess." They were fighting until knockout.

She backed away, knowing that he would be mad and lunge out of anger. Sure enough he charged and she used both swords to force his spear away. He came back again for a quick attack. She had to defend with her strong hand and strike with her weak one. She managed to hit him on the same spot on the chest, giving him a more sizable gash.

She hoped a wound to the chest would make it harder for him to hold his spear. If it did, he refused to show it. Instead he crouched down, giving her less room to work with, and he started jabbing at her legs, trying to find the weakness in her armor. He wasn't finding it, and at best, he was just leaving some bruises on her skin.

Azula had been pushed to the point of pain too many times to give much of a damn. The one good thing that came out of being raised by Ozai was a high tolerance for pain. She would not go down easy. She quickly went on a counter attack. He was able to use his spear to keep her shorter swords away as she got closer, so she did the next best thing. She dropped her right sword and chi blocked his left arm, rendering it useless.

"WHAT THE HELL!" he screamed as his left arm became a noodle. She went and grabbed her sword back as he had to fight one-handed.

"You do know you can use hands in a weapons fight, right?" Those who had not seen chi blocking before were baffled. Those who had were impressed with the Princess's ballsy move to ditch her own sword in a battle to make the maneuver.

"I taught her that," Ty Lee said proudly.

Azula smirked again. He charged at her with just his right arm and he got her shoulder, but she had leaned back, preventing the blow from making much more than a nick on it.

"My wife loves my battle scars. All you're doing is contributing to our sex life."

Hakoda cringed at that.

Katara smirked as Azula slashed at his right arm, leaving a three-inch gash on it. With one arm, his hold on the spear wasn't as good as it had been and his attacks were weaker. Knowing this, she went for his right leg, trying to keep him off balance as possible. It took her a few tries, but she finally got his right calf, making him wince in pain. She went with a flurry of moves, striking with one arm and guarding with the other. She got his stomach, shoulder and a nick on his neck. She would switch attack and defense arms, always making sure to keep a line of defense between his spear and her person.

She decided enough was enough. She threw down both of her swords.

"Hit me with your best shot!"

He went for it with all he had left. She grabbed his spear and threw it to the side, surprising him with her superior grip. With no weapons, it was just hand to hand, raw power. He was a little woozy, his chest wound finally affecting him. She charged at him, kicking his chest, and punching him in the face. She struck him over and over as he scrambled to get away. He fell down and she kept striking. In a move of desperation, he grabbed her knee, pulling her with him. She didn't fight so her knee wasn't twisted. He tried it get her in a hold, but she grabbed his head, headbutted him, and he was out cold.

She stood up, more of Hahn's blood on her body than her own and that was it. This was all over.

Katara ran to her wife, jumping into her arms as she kissed her aggressively. She didn't care blood got on her clothes.

Hahn's defeat was not just embarrassing, but it told the other young tribesmen, that he was not as invincible as he would have you believe, and maybe they could be chief too. The competition was on now.

Azula carried her wife to their ship. It was time for them to get going. They did what they came here to do, and they were free now.

Aang and Hakoda's eyes met. He was at a loss for words. He always saw Hakoda as a father, a man who was close to his two kids, but he let this dispute over marriage come between him and both of them. If Aang had a daughter, Azula would hardly be the one he'd want to marry her, but Katara was happy with her. Shouldn't that be all that counts?

The Chief turned away first.

Aang left for Ba Sing Se, giving Iroh, Toph and the Duke a ride on Appa.

Zuko was just glad he thought to pay extra to rent a sky ship with soundproof bedrooms. It was worth every coin.

"Ravish me," Katara demanded as Azula burned through her clothes, leaving them as scraps.

Her scar had quickly been mended, but it was still visible. Katara kissed it as Azula fell on top of her.

Azula pinned her wife's hands over head, giving her a searing kiss as the two lovers got ready to consummate their marriage, yet again. Who doesn't love victory sex?

* * *

Needless to say, diplomatic relations between the tribes and the Fire Nation were pretty terrible. Accusing a Princess of being a spy was an insult to her and their nation.

Family relations were not much better either. Sokka and Katara left without saying a word to their father. He and Ty Lee returned to the Island and he sent a letter to his Gran Gran, so she would know what really happened.

Arnook was humiliated. A loss in a first wound match was one thing, but to have his best warrior knocked out cold by a princess. He thought a union between Katara and Hahn would bond the tribes and give them a united front in the world. Instead, they're probably further apart than ever, and they will now look like weaklings.

Word of the duel travelled fast through the world. It didn't help Arnook's cause that witnesses from every nation had been in attendance. Ozai heard the guards gossiping about the duel. After asking around in his cellblock, he learned that his daughter not only married the water tribe peasant who beat her in the agni kai, she did it secretly and dueled for her.

"So she could win for love, but not for her crown."

Ozai scowled. She had turned into a romantic. How useless.

Ursa had reunited with her former lover, Ikem and moved to Hira. It was when she went to town to buy some produce that she learned of the rumors swirling around about her older daughter.

"Did you hear the Princess is married?" the clerk said to another employee.

"Really? I don't remember hearing about a wedding."

"She eloped and with Chief Hakoda's daughter. The Princess had to fight a duel for her when the tribes found out."

"Azula married?" Ursa said under her breath as she got her items rung up.

"Did you say something dear?"

"Oh No."

Ursa rushed home. Now both of her children were married. She had missed so much. She wondered if she should have gone back, but she had a new life and a new daughter. She wasn't even a Princess anymore. Her kids seemed just fine without her.


	10. Chapter 9

Now that it was out that the Crown Princess was married, a formal event to introduce Katara into society was mandatory, try telling that to her wife.

"I don't want another wedding," Azula fussed at her brother.

The sages were insistent that Azula have a royal wedding.

"You know how slighted certain people feel when they don't get an invitation to a royal wedding."

"No one got an invitation. There's nothing to feel slighted about."

"Is one wedding really that bad?"

"Yes and can't we just throw her a jubilee instead? She'll get introduced into society and instead of us having to suffer through a wedding planner, this will be Mai's responsibility."

"No way," Mai insisted when she heard Azula's suggestion. "I got stuck throwing a wedding and so are you."

"Nope, Katara's the bride. I'm not doing anything."

"Wait until I tell her you said that."

"Planning a wedding sounds like fun," Katara said happily, to everyone's surprise. Has she met the royal sages?

"Have you lost your mind?" Mai questioned.

"What? It would be nice to throw a big party, have lots of flowers, all the cake you can eat, and it means a second wedding night." She smirked at her wife.

Azula bit her lip. "Now that you mention it, this sounds like fun."

"Do you know how exacting the sages are about everything?" Zuko warned his sister in law.

"Well, they'll have to get over it, "Katara said, "because this time, I'm planning my wedding."

The sages had already started a guest list. They were going to have to move quickly if they wanted to have this wedding before it got too late in the year. They were aiming for the beginning of September, which was late but was still technically summer.

Of course the list was mostly of nobles and diplomats who Katara did not know or care about. She checked to make sure all of her, and Azula's friends were on the list as well as her family.

She told the sages not to bother with her father. "He won't come."

"Probably not, but it would still be a slight not to invite him."

She was not worried about slighting him, but she didn't argue about it. She did, however, argue about the colors. Everything was red, gold and black in the sages' world.

"Black is the color of death in my tribe." She refused to wear a red and black wedding dress. "Traditionally, I would wear white."

"It's not like you're a virgin anymore," the Head Sage scoffed.

He trembled after she glowered at him.

Azula would periodically come in the room, say "Princess Katara can have whatever she wants," and then leave. She refused to plan anything. She only knew how to be awesome at royal events, which meant partying hard and then having sex. She promised to do both of those things.

Katara had no idea weddings were so complicated: seating for the ceremony, seating for the dinner, which appetizers to serve, which cocktails, the menu, entertainment, transportation and lodging for the guests, flowers, decorations, the cake and desserts. She found herself overwhelmed with options.

She went to Mai for help. "How did you do all of this?" In the tribe, people just got married and had a buffet.

Mai sighed. "A lot of arguing back and forth and at some point, you just have to go in diva mode until the sages will do what you want. Azula was a born diva; what's the problem?"

"She planned our last wedding, and honeymoon and pretty much everything else, so I said I would plan this wedding, but I'm losing it."

"She can't just let you do everything. Everything she did over the past year was easy compared to this. Just withhold sex until she is useful."

"I can't do that to her!"

"To her, or you can't do that to yourself?"

Katara blushed.

"Fine, tell her if she deals with the catering and cakes, she gets to eat the free samples and if she deals with the flowers, you'll let her purchase your lingerie for the night."

Katara hugged her sister in law. "You're a genius!"

"I know!"

**One Week Later**

Azula had her first meeting with the caterer who had come with a list of traditional Fire Nation dishes.

"It is traditional to start with a round of caviar and to have a cold soup like a gazpacho," and then bring out various side dishes and meat entrees family style to adorn each table.

"I remember last year's wedding," Azula said sharply. "I want a menu that features both Fire Nation and Water Tribe cuisine. I want you to take the dishes and elevate them, make them memorable and then bring me samples to try out."

The caterer was about to fuss about time limits and having to get the ingredients for this, but Azula stared her down. "Of course Princess."

"Are you also doing the cocktails?"

"Our sister shop is."

"Well write this down for them. I want a lot of booze, no skimping and nothing substandard. I want a full bar as well as a signature drink to celebrate our union. Maybe something cooling and hot like a drink made with both mint and fire whiskey that's been shaken with ice. Keep the champagne coming, and I want the appetizers during the cocktail hour to be tasty, but not overfilling, so people don't spoil their dinner. Think powerful bites like sausage and pineapple."

The flowers were less fun for Azula, but she got Ty Lee to come to help.

"Thanks for being my best man."

"Of course!" Ty Lee loved weddings. She also loved pink. Azula had to be careful to make sure Ty Lee didn't turn her wedding into a child's birthday party.

Traditional entertainment would just be a band. Azula wanted something more fun. She and Katara found a group of dancers, female dancers, who were sensual without being too provocative. "They're perfect," Azula said.

Katara looked at her.

"For the performance. You're actually perfect."

"Don't you forget it."

They also picked out the cake together. At first they fussed over the flavors. Azula wanted chocolate, spicy chocolate, and her wife favored an angel food cake with pecans.

"There's nothing angelic about us or our wedding."

"That's the irony."

"Hmm, interesting."

They ended up getting a different flavor for each layer, spicy chocolate cake, angel food cake and pine carrot cake.

* * *

One week before the wedding, Kanna and Pakku arrived at the palace. Hakoda had made an order forbidding any tribal members from going to the wedding. Kanna had said they were going to the Dove Canary Islands for vacation, but then she went straight to the Fire Nation without giving it a second thought.

"What are you going to do when you go back?" Bato asked them, knowing they were not going on vacation.

"I'm not coming back," Kanna told him. The tribe had become everything she had run away from before. She was going to spend the rest of her life with her husband and her grandchildren. Forget this!

Bato was sad to see her go, but he didn't try to stop her. There was no turning back anymore.

"Send Katara my best wishes."

"I will, Bato!"

"Gran Gran! You're here!" Katara hugged her. "Pakku, you're here too!"

"Of course, Katara. We weren't missing your second wedding." Kanna told her.

"We assumed you weren't having a third one." Pakku added.

"Will you give me away?" she asked him.

"Of course, Honey." He kissed her forehead.

* * *

Over the next week, friends and family started spilling into the palace. Iroh arrived with Jun, Sokka with Suki and the rest of the warriors. The day before the wedding, Aang came with Koko. "This is so exciting. There's an open bar!" Koko gleamed looking at the setup.

"We're not here to get wasted."

"Sure you are, this is my wedding. Getting wasted is mandatory," Azula said as she greeted them.

Toph and the Duke arrived. "So where's the booze?" she questioned as she found a servant.

There was no need for a bachelor or bachelorette party. Instead, all the "young people" shared some fire whiskey the night before the wedding. Katara went to bed before her wife. "I'll see you at the wedding," she said with a kiss!

"OOGIES!" Sokka yelled.

"Shut up," Katara told him as she went to her room for the night.

Azula got as drunk as she could without waking up hung over. "My second wedding night will be ever better than my first one," she boasted to Toph on her way to bed. "Guess who's going for it in the throne room."

"You don't think Zuko will guard it."

"He'll try, but I have my ways."

Wedding day jitters.

Katara had her dress on. Unlike her sundress from her first wedding, this one ran to the floor and had lace all over it. It was beautiful, but it felt surreal that she was even wearing it, much less had a crown on her head.

Suki, her maid of honor, helped her get ready.

Ty Lee had an easier time being Azula's best man than Mai's maid of honor. "She was freaking out!"

"Well duh, she had to marry the nervous wreck that is my brother. I'm already married and I just have to remember to read my vows. I'll be fine."

Azula didn't wear her military formals. Katara said if she had to get a new outfit, so did Azula. Instead, Azula had master robes made, signifying that she was in fact a firebending master. She had been for years, but now she had the regalia to prove it. The robes were red with gold stripes on the shoulder and a black Fire Nation insignia on the back.

A nobleman's daughter was the flower girl. She had done it a few times before and had an easy time skipping, throwing flower petals and then going to sit with her mother.

The wedding music started to play as Azula walked down the aisle.

She stood and waited for Katara to come out.

"I can't go out there," she spazzed.

"What? You're already married."

"It's not Azula. It's the crowd. The nobles eye you like they're predator vulture and you're road kill."

"You're a Princess now. You're the predator vulture and they're the road kill."

"It's time," Pakku said as he came to get her.

Her arm trembled as he led her down the aisle. "You look fantastic and everyone here is happy for you, or at least happy for free food and drink, so relax."

She nodded as the sage addressed the couple.

He said some words about marriage and its importance to the royal family and to the nation and some junk. Then it was time for the vows. Katara went first.

"When you asked me to marry you I had thought that you had bumped your head that morning and when you explained why you wanted us to marry, I realized what a good friend I had in you. What I didn't realize, however, was how hard I would fall in love with you, and how we would begin a whirlwind romance that has spanned every continent in just over a year.

I can't ask for more from a best friend, a lover, and a wife than all that you have given me and shared with me and done for me, and I promise to be the best wife that I know how to be to you and to have awesome fun times anywhere and everywhere we can and be game for any new positions you have in mind."

Zuko swallowed his throat when she said that, really, any position in wedding vows?

"When it was time for me to write my vows, I didn't have any ideas. I was afraid I was going to embarrass myself and tried to get Mai to write them for me. She refused, but she gave me this.

She said there was a difference between being a nice person and a good person. She said that I am not often a nice person, but I am at my nicest when I'm around you. She said that I am often a good person, but I am at my best when it is for you.

When we're together, you're all that I see and I want everything to be perfect for you. You're both my guiding light and my better half and I couldn't imagine myself any happier than the times when you are with me. Every day that I'm with you, I feel like a better person, and I promise to try and keep getting better, every day of my life, as long as you are in it, especially in bed."

The sage looked ready to scowl.

"Do you, Princess Azula, take Katara to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and cherish as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And do you, Princess Katara, take Azula to be your lawfully wedded wife, for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes."

"By the Power vested in me by the Fire Nation I now …" before he could finish it.

Katara pulled Azula into a hungry kiss and they started making out.

"Declare you married."

He tapped on their shoulder to get them to proceed out and when that didn't work, he bopped Azula on the head.

"Oh, my bad," she said sardonically, earning a few laughs as she took her wife down the aisle.

* * *

Of course, Zuko chastised them for their vows not to mention their pawing at each other in public, but Azula paid him no mind. "Just because your vows were lame and boring is no reason to get up and arms about ours. We're just keeping it real, really hot!"

"UGH!" He left them alone after that.

Azula got a cocktail for herself and her wife. "What do you think of this?"

"It's nice." It was a little hot for her tastes, but the mint was soothing.

The Crown Princess took her wife around, introducing her to various nobles and their children. She tried to avoid the women she had already slept with, especially if they had their husbands with them.

Of course, Ming Fong was there with her father, and a bodyguard.

"Threesome?" Azula asked her wife.

Katara hit her stomach.

"What? We could do it in the throne room."

Sokka took Suki for a walk through the garden before the dinner started.

He turned to her. "From the moment I first saw you, the first thing that caught my attention was your eyes. The next thing was how did a girl just spring a trap on me?"

Suki rolled her eyes.

"But as I got to know you, I started to realize how amazing you are and how happy you make me and I want to make every day just like the first one we met." He handed her a box. Inside of it was a green betrothal necklace.

"Will you marry me?"

Suki jumped in his arms. "Yes, you big lug!"

When they got to dinner, they didn't say anything, but Gran Gran knew a betrothal necklace when she saw one. "It's about time," she said to him.

"Well, Katara's already been married twice, so I figure I better get moving before she gets married a third time."

"Not happening," Azula said. "Unless you met a girl that you wanted to …"

Katara glared at her.

"Shutting up now."

The servers brought out the cold and spicy sea prune stew to start. It had a little cow pig belly to help with the tartness from the sea prune.

"This is an interesting variation," Pakku said as he bit into it. "It's smoky and has a nice bite to it."

"MEAT!" Sokka growled happily, causing everyone at the royal table to laugh at him.

Once the soup was cleared, the entrees came out to fill the table. They had cow pig shoulder braised in chicken broth, sea prunes glazed with whiskey, turtle crab and whale ceviche with tomatoes, a little moon peach, onion and avocado, fried komodo chicken, broiled and grilled unagi, pine carrot mash, roasted corn salad, candied apple beets, and a fried tofu dish for the Avatar.

"I've never seen these combinations before," Iroh commented as he bit into the ceviche.

"I wanted them to do something special for our wedding," Azula said.

"You picked this out?" Zuko was surprised.

"Of course, it's bold and flavorful, like me, and there's endless variety, like me, in bed."

"Stop doing that!"

Azula cracked up at his discomfort.

"I think the food is fabulous," Katara said as she kissed her wife's cheek.

Eat up," Azula said to her. "You'll need your energy," she purred.

They were almost done with the meal when it was time for speeches. Ty Lee went first with a speech about Azula. "I've known Azula since she was six years old, and she's always been good at being bossy." [laughing]

"Her success lied in both her boldness and her ability to plan. She can rationalize like no one else. For years, she was determined to be a bachelorette for life. She refused to even consider the idea of marriage and dissed it at every turn. Her favorite comment was "marriage, it's just the end to a perfectly good sex life."

[roaring laughter]

"Well, I've never gotten married, so I don't know how true that is, but if there's anyone who can make marriage awesome it's Azula, so I know she and Katara will have a blast. Cheers!"

Suki had the speech for her future sister in law. "Katara is smart and bold. She stands up for what she believes in and won't go down without a hell of a fight. When I found out there were attempts to arrange her marriage, I knew it would fail because Katara will not leave her life's biggest decisions to someone else.

She will make her own choices and fight her own battles. She needed someone who would give her that kind of space and fight for her when her back was against the wall. Never in a million years did I think that person would be Princess Azula, but having seen them over the past year, I must say they make a perfect match.

Azula's the best fighter I've ever seen, but there's no point in firepower without a cause worth fighting. Katara's got a heart of gold and together I know they can achieve anything. That being said, Zuko, I hope you locked the throne room. Cheers."

[raucous laughter]

Zuko shook his head. "Yes I did!"

There was even more laughter after that.

For the first dance, Azula danced with Iroh and Katara with Pakku.

"So are you and Jun ever going to tie the not?" Azula asked her uncle.

"I don't know. She hasn't expressed interest in it, and I'm fine the way things are."

"It's never too late. If this true player can get married, anyone can do it."

Kanna was still in awe about how large the palace was, especially the banquet hall. "It feels like the size of the tribe in here," she said to no one in particular.

"It's magnificent, isn't it?" Aang said to her as he passed by.

"How have you been Aang?"

"I'm good. I'm working on rebuilding the Southern Air Temple. Koko and I plan to into it next year. I'm hoping it will be ready before the summer."

"Isn't that nice?"

"How's the tribe?"

Kanna explained how she and Pakku fled. "It looks like we'll be splitting out time between the Fire Nation and Kyoshi Island."

It was hard to believe that Hakoda became so unhinged so quickly, but this is what stubbornness does to people.

"If you're looking to travel, the Northern Air Temple is really fun and it's not too far from Kyoshi Island."

"We'll have to check it out."

The dance floor was open and couples and "for-one-night couples" were all over the floor. Like Azula requested, the booze just kept coming and everyone was in a joyful mood, except for the guard stuck watching the throne room.

"Wouldn't you like a drink?" Ty Lee offered.

"I can't leave my post."

"But the drink can come to you."

Ty Lee got him a few cocktails, and she easily led him to another room to hang out. She got him to take off his mask. He was really cute.

"Too bad you have to wear a mask all day."

"Why?"

"No one gets to see your pretty face."

"Are you hitting on me?" he said teasingly.

"Yes," she laughed.

While they flirted, Katara made an ice key for the throne room. She and Azula snuck in.

Katara pulled her wife onto the throne and straddled her. "Let's start our wedding night off right."

About thirty minutes later, they were looking to cut the cake and no one could find the couple.

Zuko sent a servant to check their bedroom, but no one was in it.

"Maybe they're in the throne room," Sokka teased.

Zuko went to check, but when he got there, the guard was gone. "Hell NO!"

He opened the door to see Katara somehow upside down and on top of Azula. "GET YOUR CLOTHES ON AND COME CUT THE CAKE!"

The girls started giggling and scrambled to get dressed and cleaned up before they went back outside. Katara still had sex hair.

Zuko frowned at them. Mai snickered. "I guess they were just honoring their vows."

"EW!"

Azula was tempted to smash a piece of cake in Katara's face, but she didn't want her wife to hold out on her the rest of the night. Instead, she gave Suki a slice to smash in Sokka's face to the sages' chagrin.

At the end of the night, Azula thanked everyone for coming and took her wife to bed.

She carried her wife over the marital threshold one more time. "I love you so much Katara." She kissed her wife hard on the mouth before she could answer.

"I love you, Azula, now and always."

"Let's have our wedding night go on until the early morning."

"Taking it easy on me?"

"Never."

**The End**


End file.
